The Enigma Series Boxed Set
Page 124
“You’re an angel, Sam. Thanks.”
Chapter 28
T he director of Enigma, Benjamin Clark watched his most successful team file in with their usual banter until they caught sight of him then quieted and took their seats. Things changed several years ago when Tessa Scott stumbled into their lair. War, terrorism, and disrespect of the country forged the people he chose into unemotional machines who carried out their tasks like steel-coated robots with little or no conscience. Sometimes he worried this might not be a good thing.
He still remembered the day Zoric handcuffed Tessa to a desk in an unfinished outer office. Somehow, she escaped, only to be dragged back by Samantha Cordova. Whatever Tessa said to the woman had Captain Hunter laughing for the first time in years. Her influence, although more wacky than logical, brought a belief, perhaps, some good still existed in a world gone mad.
In spite of the team treating her like a good luck charm, Tessa Scott was a menace with a big smile and an uncanny way of manipulating a hardened soldier like Captain Hunter. There were times he wondered how an unassuming soccer mom, who created such chaos, could endear herself to brutal men. The thought occurred to him, the honorable Tessa Scott, had on several occasions circumvented his own no-nonsense demands. Even knowing this, he felt a kind of warm affection for her. This irritated the reasonable side of him.
After everyone arrived and was seated, Tessa rushed in, late as usual. No one asked why. The reasons ranged from traffic on the commute, the kids, the school called, or his favorite, she stopped to get someone at the university a special treat for a birthday or other important occasion. He waited for her to find a seat.
“Good morning all.” The director bore his typical no-nonsense tone. “I wanted to let everyone know the arrangements for the Africa trip. The itinerary is in the folder before you.” He waited for them to glance through the papers in case there might be questions. “The next item on our list this morning is Robert Scott’s law firm.” All eyes went to Tessa, who squirmed in her seat.
He watched her swallow, clear her throat then take a sip of water from the glass before her. Vernon activated the screen behind him. “It seems two of the men in the firm were actually involved in the money laundering. After their technical support notified them there had been a breach”—the director glanced at Tessa and raised an eyebrow in hopes of showing his annoyance— “thanks to Daniel Scott, plans were hatched to put the blame on Robert.”
Tessa closed her eyes for a few seconds as if she might be trying to compose herself. “I’m really sorry my son got everyone caught up in all this.”
“If he hadn’t, we’d still be chasing our tail. In spite of the danger it put you and your family in, we managed to cover a lot more ground. The connection to a possible change in Botswana leadership wasn’t on our radar so much as corruption among some of the country’s powerhouses.”
“What about Reeva Kaplan?” Chase’s chair squeaked when he rocked back.
“There are still some unanswered questions about her. We know she didn’t board the plane with Handsome in Reno the day he left you high and dry. At first, we suspected he’d killed her. Even though there is some indication she took another flight, authorities cannot say for sure she returned to South Africa. With the help of the FBI, we’re considering the strong possibility she may have traveled to Australia. They have the largest diamond reserves, estimated at some two hundred ten million carats.”
“But no one has spotted her?” Chase reached for his folder and thumbed through it again.
“Australia is a big place with tough characters. Probably has enough friends in the black-market business to keep her safe until the time she needs to finish her real objective. She’s on the hook for her role in the murders of those two US Marshals. The Department of Justice wants her head on a platter.”
“What will happen to Robert’s law firm?” Tessa asked, wide-eyed.
The director nodded to Vernon who switched to a live mode on the screen. “Warrants are being served even as we speak.”
Chaos unfolded in the workplace. Office staff, lawyers, and paralegals stood around nervously whispering to each other. Men and women with FBI-marked jackets explored and investigated each area thoroughly.
“What about Robert, Director Clark?” Tessa clenched her fists.
Agent Martin appeared on screen, leading Robert to the side. Both watched silently for the most part. Occasionally, Agent Martin whispered something to Tessa’s husband. He would nod, cross his arms in front of his chest then drop them to his side. He appeared uncomfortable and anxious.
Director Clark took a deep breath and addressed her question. “Robert actually helped the FBI in the end. He managed to locate some damning files, which he copied to a flash drive for Agent Martin. It was enough to get a warrant.” Computers were being carried out faster than anyone could protest. Several lawyers were marched out in handcuffs as Robert took a step back. “The night he came to your house to make sure Robert was on board with stealing the information was the last step toward bringing this part of the problem to an end.”
“He never said a word.” She frowned. “Why wasn’t I told?” The director understood her frustration.
Chase twisted his lips in a disgruntled expression. “None of us knew. Even the night I took Agent Martin to your house, he never said a word. I agreed to take him so we could hash out some of my distrust of him. I see he only wanted to gain back the confidence I’d lost in him. When he said he wanted to do a little Intimidation 101, I found it amusing enough to tag along.”
Tessa leveled a dangerous glare at her boss. The director expected her to be jamming a finger in the man’s chest when the meeting ended.
“He has a job to do, too,” the director said in the man’s defense. “I’m sure we can use his behavior to our advantage another time.”
“Is Robert in trouble?” Tessa followed up.
The director shook his head. “No. He might even get a pat on the back from the FBI. However, I’m not sure of his future at his current law firm or if he should even consider staying with them. This is big news in California. Although most news outlets will have dropped the story by tomorrow night, prospective clients won’t forget. The publicity may link Robert to criminal activity he had nothing to do with.”
“He’s talked about opening his own law office in Nevada City for years.”
“Might be a good time to consider those options. Get out while he can.” The director waved a hand to Vernon who immediately killed the video feed. “Our next plan of action is to proceed to Africa to find Handsome, return the Kifaru to the rightful owner, and make sure Botswana remains a safe and secure country. Our benefactors do not want any more economic instability in that part of the world.”
Director Clark dismissed them and wished them safe travels on their Africa trip.
~~~
The team went their separate ways except for Chase and Tessa. They walked side by side to her office and entered.
“Everything okay with you leaving for Africa?” Chase shut the door then rested against it in a nonchalant fashion. “Robert give you any trouble?”
“He’s worried something will happen like it did in Afghanistan.”
“How much does he know about what happened there?”
“You mean does he know I was kidnapped and married off to one of their tribesman?” Tessa asked sarcastically.
“Not exactly, but yeah.” Chase still felt a great deal of guilt not getting to her sooner. He also felt a severe case of jealousy when he realized she may have fallen in love with the guy who saved her from unspeakable abuse. “I’m not letting you out of my sight this time, Tessa.” He articulated his words in a slow way so she would know she had nothing to fear. “You aren’t going to give me trouble over this, are you?”
She grinned mischievously. “What fun would that be?”
“You and I are going to be spending a lot of time together in the coming days. Don’t get on my bad side,” he w
arned, opening the door to leave.
“Again. What fun would that be?”
THE END
About the author
Tierney James decided to become a full-time writer after working in education for over thirty years. Besides serving as a Solar System Ambassador for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, and attending Space Camp for Educators, Tierney served as a Geo-teacher for National Geographic. Her love of travel and cultures took her on adventures throughout Africa, Asia and Europe. From the Great Wall of China to floating the Okavango Delta of Botswana, Tierney weaves her unique experiences into the adventures she loves to write. Living on an Indian reservation and in a mining town continues to fuel the characters in the Enigma and Wind Dancer series.
The love of teaching continues in her marketing and writing workshops along with the creation of educational materials and children’s books. Try some of her other books to bring a little adventure to your life. http://www.tierneyjames.com
Other Publications by Tierney James
Stand Alone Novels
The Rescued Heart
Dance of the Devil’s Trill
Wind Dancer Series
Dark Side of Morning
Education
African Safari
Children’s Books
There’s a Superhero in the Library
Zombie Meatloaf
Mission K9 Rescue