Fatal Exchange

by Cindy M. Hogan

  As soon as I entered the room, I announced, “The buy has been moved up to tomorrow morning.” Gasps and general muttering filled the room.

  “And how do you know this, Agent Hadden?” Siron asked.

  “I was just with Kamal and he told me.”

  Siron’s gaze flicked to Summer and back to me. Summer was stone, her eyes fixed on me. A splotchy redness appeared on her neck.

  “You were on your way home,” Summer accused, her body leaning toward me, the muscles in her neck going taut, her jaw tight.

  “I was,” I said in a calm voice, “but then I realized I could use the rest of the evening at the fountain to get more info of Kamal.”

  “You should have told me that.”

  “I didn’t realize I had to tell my shadow where I was going.”

  Summer’s nostrils flared. It looked like she was holding something back.

  “Give us the details, Agent Hadden, and next time, let Agent Barnes in on your plans when they change. It does you no good to have a shadow you give the slip. And it doesn’t matter if the buy has moved up because we will be activating the trackers later tonight.”

  “That’s the thing,” I said. “Kamal is keeping the new drives with him since he’s meeting Marco, his drive buyer, tomorrow morning. He didn’t see the point of taking the drives to the bank, only to take them right back out again.”

  “In that case, we pull Kamal in tonight,” Siron said, “and use the girl, Marni, to get him to give up the drives. If he thinks Marni is in danger, he’ll talk.”

  “We don’t even have Marni, yet. He won’t talk without knowing we have her. Even if he did break, it would be too late. I have a better idea and it won’t even involve the girl. I’ll follow Kamal to the bank and then intercept the drive after he retrieves the rest of the drives from the safety deposit box.”

  “I think he knows what you look like by now,” Summer said.

  “That’s why I have disguises. I’ll go in like a normal day of work, and change into a disguise after I get into the Louvre so I can follow him.”

  “Now that’s thinking,” Halluis said. “We can keep an eye on him from the time you enter the Louvre until you exit and then we’ll put you back onto him.”

  “This sounds good,” Siron said. “Agent Hadden will keep to her same pattern so Kamal won’t suspect anything. Summer will act as her shadow. Ace will monitor all the tech from a van that will follow Kamal. Halluis will drive the van and Jeremy will provide support. In case she loses visual, Jeremy and Ace can keep Agent Hadden informed over the com where Kamal is, and Jeremy can be ready to help if Kamal gives her any trouble. Rosabella will monitor the mission from HQ.

  “Now, everyone, go home and get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a big day. I’ll see you bright and early.”

  Everyone but Jeremy and I hurried out. I smiled at him. He smiled back, looked at the floor and moved toward me. I imagined him whispering something sweet into my ear and giving me a light kiss, but instead, he put an arm around my shoulders and squeezed. “It sure feels good to be back.” It was like he was greeting a guy friend that he hadn’t seen in a long time. His arm left me in one swift motion, and he walked out, leaving me feeling deflated.

  I made my way to the exit, stopping to get a drink from the fountain in the hall. When I straightened, Summer was standing right next to me, sneering. I couldn’t stop my hand from going to my heart. “You startled me.” Again, I had no clue she’d been there.

  “If you ever make me look bad in front of the team again, I’ll have to hurt you.”

  I held my tongue.

  “You made me look bad today, really bad in front of Siron. I’m going to have to make you pay for that.” Her voice was firm, set. She meant every word, and I had no doubt she’d follow through.

  ***

  The next morning I got an early start with a fierce cross-training workout that seemed to force sweat from each and every pore in my body. A cool shower rejuvenated me before I got dressed as Eva and packed a go bag with a new disguise that included a silicone mask and a short black wig. I got a text from Division saying the raid on the clearinghouse was a bust. No drives there. Surprise, surprise.

  I still had a good half hour before I needed to be on my way to the Louvre when someone knocked on the door. I carefully made it to the door without making a sound. The person on my doorstep knocked again and said, “It’s me.” Jeremy. A familiar zing zipped through me and hope and longing filled me. I wondered if I’d ever lose that feeling. I had to. I had to learn how I could be with him and yet not with him every day. I wondered if maybe it would have been better had I been given a new handler. That thought sent a terrible shiver through my body. I couldn’t imagine not working with him ever again. I held onto the doorknob, frozen.

  “Open up. I’ve got breakfast.” I loved hearing him speak French. I took a deep breath and opened the door. He held up two bakery bags. My hero.

  “Get in here,” I said. “I’m starving.” I pretended a casualness I didn’t feel. I wished I hadn’t had those thoughts only moments before because now they made me feel awkward and unsure. He walked in, and I shut and locked the door.

  He cleared his throat. “Thought I’d come by to wish you luck.” He seemed a bit stiff.

  I wanted to hear that he had come because he wanted to spend some time with me. That it had been too long. That he wanted to put his lips on mine. But, it wasn’t to be. It couldn’t be. We’d agreed. But seeing him made all my resolve to keep him in the friend zone, crumble. I couldn’t live without him. The last four months had been torture. I needed to tell him how I felt. I had to be with him. If it meant not being a spy, then so be it.

  We stood, staring at each other, the painful, awkward moment playing out. He cleared his throat again. “I wondered if maybe I’d catch you in bed, you seemed worn out last night.”

  “Well, you know me, sleeping in is usually not my thing.”

  “How about you finish doing what you were doing, and I’ll set us up on the back balcony.”

  “Actually, I’m ready, so I’ll help you.” I started to move at the same time he did and we bumped into each other and jerked apart. “Oh, sorry.”

  He took hold of my elbow and looked me in the eyes. “It’s okay.” He was talking about more than the incidental touching. He motioned for me to go first. I did. I’d have to find the perfect time to tell him, when things weren’t so weird. We collected dishes from the kitchen and brought them to the balcony. He started to unload the bags. “What disguise are you going to use?”

  “I’m wearing a silicone mask and a wig.”

  “Good. I don’t want Kamal to have a chance at ID-ing you.”

  “Yeah. I will probably sweat to death when it’s on, but I can’t risk it.” I headed back to the kitchen for water and orange juice as well as yogurt. I tried everything to stop the hard, bruising pounding of my heart against my ribs, but nothing worked. When I returned, I found fresh croissants and pain au chocolat on the table. He knew just what I liked. The first little while sitting out there was incredibly awkward. The silence, the stolen glances.

  After way too long, he was the first to break the silence. “You’re going to be safe, right?”

  “Of course. You’re here now.”

  “I’ll be there every second making sure of it.”

  I smiled. “And Summer will be there, for what that’s worth.” He looked everywhere but in my eyes. Why wouldn’t he look me in the eye?

  “I checked into her. She’s considered one of the rising stars in shadowing. I’m actually glad she’s here. Another pair of eyes is always beneficial.”

  I sighed. “This is crazy. I hate how—”

  Jeremy’s alarm sounded. “Oh, it’s time to go. That went fast.” He stood up, cleared away the dishes and took them inside before I could protest. I shuffled behind him, desperately wanting to finish what I was going to say, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know how to be around him anymore. I knew what I wanted,
but he didn’t seem to want the same thing. Everything had changed. I’d lost him for good. It wasn’t right.

  I stood close behind him while he put the dishes into the sink, my mind full of indecision. When he turned around, he bumped into me, his arms shooting out to steady me, pulling me into an embrace and his eyes meeting mine. I thought I saw longing there and then it was gone. I squeezed him tight, enjoying how well we fit together and drawing on his intoxicating male scent.

  “Whoops,” he said, pulling back and sliding past me. That was all the answer I needed. We were now business colleagues, nothing more. I pulled hard for a breath, but nothing came for several seconds.

  “Grab your go bag. We’ll go out together.” He was already waiting for me by the front door.

  I snagged the bag from my bed and plastered on a smile. “Guess this is it.” I walked toward him.

  “I wish for you every ounce of luck you may need and want. And remember, nothing is worth losing you.”

  Those were almost the exact words he spoken to me right before he’d kissed me that first, knee-buckling time in New York. I sucked in a breath. Did he know it? Our hands brushed again as both reached for the doorknob to shut the door. Tingles fired through me.

  “Remember. I’m here now, making sure you stay safe.”

  ***

  Once again, Summer sat next to me on the train. “Did you have a nice breakfast?” How did she know about that? She hadn’t been anywhere nearby. She couldn’t have been or I would have felt her. I decided the only way to deal with her was to not respond.

  “It must be painful to have him reject you over and over.”

  I had felt it, especially today. She was right he had rejected me. But the words he said right there before they’d left the apartment, was he telling me something? Was he reminding me that he still cared for me, but was unable to act on it? My stomach did a little dance.

  “Don’t worry about today. I'll take care you. You'll be safe. I'll be watching your stupid little butt. Just know I'm watching.” Had Summer really been there? Was I losing my touch or was she as good a shadow as she seemed? Relief slid over me that she hadn’t said anything about my feelings toward Jeremy. Summer would certainly report it. Most certainly.

  And how dare she come right before a mission and try to rattle me? I had five more minutes on the train to cool off.

  ***

  I headed into the Louvre, knowing that this time, agents from Division 57 were following Kamal as he left the area. Kamal gave me a new bag to use for the day. It was a fanny pack of sorts, and I strapped it to my waist. Once inside, and certain I wasn’t being tailed by him, I went into the closest bathroom and changed into a new person, carefully putting Eva’s clothing into my go bag. I had opted for a silicone mask of a mid-twenties woman with tan skin and tastefully done makeup. The mask fit perfectly and there wasn’t hint of Christy or Eva in it. With a black wig, glasses, some dark colored contacts and some slacks and a billowy blouse, I was set to go. I pulled out my phone and texted Jeremy. Kamal was in the Tuileries Gardens. He was probably picking up a drop from one of his l’Orangerie pickpockets. I couldn’t help but think how much easier it would have been for us had Kamal simply taken the two drives to his bank and left them with the others.

  I made my loop through the Louvre before exiting with a jostling crowd. Despite my anxiousness, I felt eyes on me. I stopped to tie my shoe and surveyed the area for this phantom tail. No one. A part of me hoped it was just Summer I was sensing. It would be good if I was finally be sensing her.

  Jeremy gave me Kamal’s location and then patched me in to his tracker. I hopped on the metro so I could get to Kamal and keep an eye on him.

  I never realized just how busy Kamal was until I followed him during his daytime activities. He entered the Jardin du Luxembourg, a sprawling park that had quickly become one of my favorites. I enjoyed sitting in the sun near the gorgeous flowerbeds and reading after a hard run. He walked quickly on a path that was meant for joggers and received several mean stares and comments. Rules governing where and when joggers could run, where cards could be played, where dogs could be walked, and where and when music could be played were hard and fast in Paris. I’m sure Kamal knew that, but I guessed the stress of his meeting was clouding his judgment. Or perhaps he thought the rules were foolish. I wondered if he knew that the park sat right on top of the French CIA. A nervous feeling settled over me.

  He met with someone and for a moment I panicked that it was Marco, but when Kamal took a bag from him, I knew I was being overanxious and took a seat. Kamal turned and looked right at me as he passed. An inward burst of relief spread through me that I had put on such a complete disguise today. Sweat had started to pool beneath my latex mask and my head itched, as it always did, under the short black wig. Had I just put on a wig and some different clothes, I would never have been able to pull off following him.

  Why wasn’t he going to the bank already? Irritation sat on me. I thought he was supposed to meet Marco in the morning. It was almost afternoon. Kamal stopped by the clearing house and then made his way back to a business section of town. My heart leapt. Maybe this was it. But it wasn’t. Finally, he entered an area with three banks. This had to be it. Which of the three would it be? I sat in the park across the street to wait as he entered one. The whole time I could feel Summer, which was unusual, but I didn’t have time to think about it. I had to focus on Kamal. I’ve got my eye on you too, Summer.

  A part of me felt bad for Kamal and how he’d felt trapped into being a pickpocket. I knew what it felt like to be trapped, and it wasn’t a good thing. I hoped his girl would get the help she needed. She had to be special if he was willing to do what he was in order to help her. And I knew what it was like to feel like you had to do something you didn’t like in order to help someone. The drive and desire could be overwhelming. Time was ticking by too quickly. Again I lamented my choice in putting on the silicone mask. It was hot and uncomfortable.

  A dark shadow crossed into my path. I looked up to see the sneering face of a tall, thin man.

  “Eva. So nice to see you.” His hands clamped down on my upper arms like a vice, capitalizing on my pressure points. An acrid smell filled my nose. I gasped, and everything went fuzzy and then black.

  Chapter 14

  I came to, at least my mind did. The rest of my body didn’t want to cooperate, but I could see. My go bag was on the floorboard. If I could get access to that, I’d be golden. The men in the front seat were definitely the men from the surveillance photos in Siron’s office. The ones who had been following me. The one in the passenger seat was talking on his phone.

  “Oui, Monsieur, this is Adolphe,” he said. “We have her. You can put your worries to rest. Thank you, Monsieur. Your permanent security detail? Thank you. I’m just doing my job.” He was silent for a minute or two. “And you as well, Monsieur. She’ll be gone by morning and your investment will be safe…Goodbye, Monsieur.”

  “Cardwell,” Adolphe said as he ended the call and turned to his partner. “We do it tonight.”

  Who had Adolphe been talking to? Some kind of official? He was obviously showing deference and respect, always referring to the man as “monsieur.” I knew for sure now—these guys worked for someone very important. They were hired guns. Who had hired them? I supposed a gang leader might make the people who worked for him call him monsieur, but it also could have been some official he was talking to. There was something about the way he talked to the person that made me think it had to be someone he revered.

  Cardwell continued to drive. We didn’t go far before he pulled into a garage of some sort. I hadn’t realized many homes had garages within the city, but then again, this was the Champs-Elysees area of Paris, a very upper-crust neighborhood.

  “Eva, Eva.” Adolphe smiled at me. “It is Eva, isn’t it?” I noticed the garage door close, and tall, thin Cardwell enter the house.

  I couldn’t answer Adolphe. My muscles had all decided to go on vaca
tion.

  “Then again, maybe not.” He spoke in a pleasant, conversational tone that belied the menace behind his intentions. “You’re quite the little mystery, aren’t you? I’m left wondering—what are you, exactly? Pickpocket? Con artist? Something more? Every time I see you, you have a different face. Quite the mystery. Well, I will just have to unravel you, won’t I?” He reached out both hands and peeled off my mask.

  I tried to speak and all that came out was a garble of sounds. I groaned—it was as close to a scream as I could manage.

  “Don’t worry, by the time we get downstairs, your muscles should be able to work on a limited basis. Then the real fun can begin.” He opened the car door and dragged me out. Being completely helpless was awful. He carried me over his shoulder with seemingly no effort. His body was hard, like cement.

  He brought me down some stairs and then through a door. A chill swept through me. The smell of decay hit me like a sledgehammer and if I could have, I would have shivered. The dank air seemed to cling to my body. My face bounced against his rock-hard back as he walked down the cement hallway. It wouldn’t have surprised me if I had had a bloody nose when he let me down. I noted he carried a gun in a holster and a long knife in a sheath, both strapped to his belt. I felt a tingle in my toes and hoped that was a sign that I would soon regain control over my body. The tingle spread up my left leg, but with it came a pernicious ache. I consciously tried to move my leg, but only a tad bit so my captor wouldn’t know. It moved!

  Within seconds, my whole body set to tingling and aching, and I was able to move again. This was good. In one move I’d have the gun he had shoved into his back waistband. In another, I’d shoot a hole in his leg. Three moves after that, I would have him completely disabled, and I would escape this creepy dungeon. As my hand, which felt sluggish and not truly a part of my body, moved to his gun, he leaned forward and threw me onto a soft surface. But not before I had taken the gun. I used my leg to conceal it as I slid off his shoulder, keeping it out of his line of sight. I all but sat on it as I landed. Before I had a chance to react, the poison was still taking its toll, the prison doors slammed shut and locked into place. He stared at me through them, an almost adoring smile on his face, like someone looking at a beloved pet. I fought back the urge to shudder. I knew he was watching me for signs that feeling was returning to my body, so I kept absolutely still, despite my intense desire to shoot him right then and there. I didn’t trust that my body would do as mind told it to. What if I raised the gun and my finger couldn’t press the trigger?