Desert Dark

by Sonja Stone

Careful. “Yes sir. I understand.”

  Another long pause. “I will consider your opinion.”

  “Yes sir. Thank you.”

  “In the meantime, lay low. There’s enough heat on your end as is. We’ll have a decision within the week.” Agent Roberts hung up.

  The student nodded to himself. Roberts is a reasonable man. He will retract the hit order, and we can continue as before with a frame job.

  Of course he knew this day would come sooner or later. But it never occurred to him he would care so much for the target.

  He stood and brushed the dust from his pants. I wish it could be someone else.

  The CIA knew about a double agent on campus because some girl needed ice cream in the middle of the night. Shooting her was a mistake. He could have knocked her out, blown up the car; made it look like an accident. But his contact claimed that would not do—some hero-wannabe passing by might pull her from the flames. As ordered, the student had rolled down his car window. He watched silently as the shooter squatted beside the car.

  I had no choice. All I did was lower a window. He popped the battery off the back of the phone and hurled it into the desert, then pulled out the memory card.

  He was in too deep to give up now.

  56

  NADIA

  THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1

  Ten different emotions competed for Nadia’s attention. Relief, joy, confusion, disbelief—all fighting against the wave of adrenaline that had just flooded her body. She wanted to tell Jack how she felt about him. How happy she was, how much he meant to her. That she was totally falling for him. She opened her mouth to speak, but something stopped her.

  Something didn’t feel right. She couldn’t identify her trepidation, but something was definitely off. He moved toward her, his hands seeking hers. And then she realized what she’d seen: a micro-expression that flashed so quickly across his face she almost missed it. His transformation was too sudden. From scared of his overwhelming emotions, to . . . self-satisfaction. That’s what was wrong—he looked smug. Nadia narrowed her eyes. “Let me read the note.”

  “I—I haven’t written it yet,” he stammered.

  She took a step back. “Why are you here? In my room?” Unless . . . Slowly, the pieces fell together. The bugged earrings, the intercepted dead drop.

  Jack was framing her. He’d come to plant evidence.

  “It was you,” she whispered. “You’re the one who broke in. You stalked me on my solo and stole my knife—I knew I didn’t lose it! The wiretap, the coded message—it was all you.” Her legs weakened. She wanted to sit down, to put the fight on hold until feeling returned to her lower body.

  But Jack moved forward. “You betrayed your country. For what? Money? Power? I found the cipher in your jacket. Boy scout is watching. I know it was about me. Am I being followed? Is that how you knew I was here?”

  “You’re the double,” Nadia said. “You tried to frame me.”

  “Give it a rest! I know it’s you. Wolfe knows it’s you. And we know who your handler is, so don’t even think about taking me out—there’s no way you’d get away with it. I found your plane ticket.” Jack clutched a small slip of paper. “Who’d you meet in Canada?”

  He’s not here to kill me or I’d be dead by now. The thought gave her enough courage to step forward. “Give me that.” Nadia wrenched the ticket from his hand. “You forged this.”

  “Are you kidding me? It’s over. We’ve got you,” Jack said. His eyes flashed with anger.

  “Oh yeah? Then explain this!” She pulled her passport from her dresser and threw it at his head. He flinched as it bounced off his temple. “Do you see a Canadian seal anywhere? You forged a plane ticket, but you couldn’t fake a customs seal because my passport was locked up at the dojo!”

  Jack opened her passport and rapidly flipped through the pages. He searched it again, this time carefully scanning each page. Closing the booklet, he held it in both hands. He stared at the cover. Then, in a low voice, he said, “You could have used a fake passport.”

  “But I put the ticket in my real name? That doesn’t even make sense. Oh, I’m such an idiot—I can’t believe I trusted you.” Nadia gasped as she remembered the dead girl. “Oh my God! You killed Drew!”

  “Of course I didn’t kill Drew. I’m not the double, Nadia.” Jack tossed the passport onto her desk and rubbed his forehead. “And I’m starting to think maybe you’re not, either.”

  “Prove it,” Nadia challenged.

  Jack hesitated. “Fine.” He paused again. “Dean Wolfe assigned me to you.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “He ordered me to watch you. He had reason to believe a double agent infiltrated the student body, and you were a suspect. You were the suspect.”

  She closed her eyes. Oh my God. That’s why he’s been dating me. The realization felt like a kick to the stomach. And I almost told him how I feel about him.

  She squared her shoulders, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her humiliation. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to confirm your story. We’ll go to his office right now.” Nadia pointed to the door.

  They crossed campus together, arm-in-arm, the stun-gun pressed into Jack’s rib cage. One click of a button and he’d be convulsing on the ground. When they reached Hopi Hall, Nadia hid the weapon against her back to protect Sensei.

  Dean Wolfe waved them in. “Why aren’t you two in class?”

  Nadia’s face still burned with anger and embarrassment. “Jack broke into my room. He said he was acting under your orders.”

  “I didn’t say he ordered me to break into your room. I said he instructed me to keep an eye on you,” Jack said.

  “Semantics,” Nadia snapped.

  “You were in her room?” Dean Wolfe asked with a look of disbelief on his face. “Why, Jack? Why were you in her room?”

  Jack mumbled an answer as he stared at his lap.

  “What was that?”

  “Sir, I was looking for evidence.”

  “Dean Wolfe.” Nadia struggled to control her voice. “Did you authorize Jack to place surveillance equipment on me?”

  The Dean sighed heavily. “I did not.” He looked at Jack, one eyebrow raised.

  “I put a listening device in her earrings,” Jack said, answering the unasked question.

  Dean Wolfe leaned his head into his open palm and closed his eyes.

  “Why do you think I’m a double agent?” Nadia asked.

  He sat back and crossed his arms, studying her for a long moment. “Your test scores were impeccable. You did too well, as though you knew the questions before the test was administered.”

  Nadia shook her head. “But I—”

  He held up his hand. “No one is above suspicion at this time. You were specifically chosen from a wide applicant pool and someone pushed hard for your admittance. If you had come in with the rest of the students, instead of as a transfer, it might not have seemed so suspicious, but the combination of factors raised a red flag,” Dean Wolfe gently explained. “We needed a starting point.”

  “But it’s not me,” she said, annoyed that her voice sounded like a little girl’s. “Someone is trying to make it look like me.” She turned to Jack. “Did you plant evidence in my room to score points with the Dean?”

  “How could you even ask me that? I would never do that. I didn’t want it to be you.”

  “Dean Wolfe, Jack found a plane ticket to Canada in my room, but I didn’t go to Canada. He checked my passport—tell him,” she ordered.

  “That’s what it looks like,” Jack said.

  “Nadia, although Jack was admittedly overzealous in his assignment, I do not believe he is trying to frame you. Having said that, it seems someone else might be. For your protection, I will have additional cameras installed in your dorm.”

  “In my room?” Nadia winced.

  “Of course not. In the lobby and hallway. If anyone tries to break in, we’ll know.”

  “Can we call the
CIA?” she asked. “Tell them we have this evidence? Get some agents on campus? Maybe they can run forensic tests or something.”

  “I will send the ticket stub and any other evidence to the lab. But if we bring agents onto campus, we show our hand and lose the only shot we have of catching these guys. I know this is a tremendous request, but if we don’t catch the double, the CIA will be forced to scrap the entire training program. Our higher-ups will reason if one double agent can get in, many can. Nadia, are you able to serve your country?”

  Oh Nadia, no big deal, but the future of our nation’s security rests in your hands.

  “Yes, of course,” she answered miserably.

  “Wait a minute.” Jack turned to her. “If it’s not you, why’d you get a dead drop at the dance?”

  Nadia’s cheeks burned hotter as she thought about the dance. His kiss. How real it had seemed. I’m so stupid—as far as he’s concerned, our entire relationship was an assignment. “Because I’m being framed! The waiter told me to drop the disc in the trash can. He said it was a quiz or something.”

  Jack narrowed his eyes. Nadia could see him processing, replaying the events in his head.

  “You sure were eager to find evidence against me,” she whispered.

  “What would you have done? I mean, that phone call? With the rook?”

  “Given you the benefit—”

  “Okay, listen, you two,” the Dean broke in. “We still have a double agent on campus. Evidently, Nadia, it is not you. However, we have no leads. If the double is watching you he may know that Jack is . . . monitoring you as well. Therefore, you are not, under any circumstances whatsoever, to discuss this conversation with anyone. You are to carry on exactly as before. This never happened. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes sir,” Jack said.

  Nadia looked away before she answered, “Yes sir.”

  “Nadia, I don’t believe you are in physical danger. To successfully infiltrate our intelligence program, the double needs to remain anonymous.”

  “What about Drew?” she asked quietly.

  “At this point in our investigation, it seems Drew’s death was unrelated. I assure you, your safety is very important to me. If I felt you were in harm’s way I would place you in protective custody,” he said. “All right, you’re dismissed. I expect you both to return to classes at once.”

  Jack held the door for her as they left the Dean’s office. In the sitting room he said, “Listen, Nadia, I’m sorry about everything. I knew in my heart it wasn’t you.” He put his hand on his chest for emphasis. “I just knew it. Now we can put this behind us. Start fresh. I really do care about you.”

  Nadia struggled to remain calm. She held her fists behind her back, resisting the urge to strike. She looked at his nose, his throat, his solar plexus, counting the ways she could kill him. She took a deep breath, stepped forward and jabbed her finger into his chest. Through clenched teeth she whispered, “Do not ever speak to me again.”

  57

  JACK

  THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1

  Jack’s chest burned as his feet pounded against the packed earth. His wet shirt clung to his back. He sprinted through the darkness. The trail curved around the back wall. He ignored the gate and started another lap.

  So much for credibility with the dean. I botched my entire career before graduating. My first real assignment and I completely blew it.

  I didn’t even get the girl.

  He thought if he ran hard enough, long enough, he’d be able to forget this morning, go to his room and collapse. It was the only way he’d sleep tonight.

  Jack remembered Wolfe’s remark after he delivered the intercepted disc. “Jack, I’m impressed.” He groaned out loud. I humiliated myself in front of him—and Nadia.

  He stopped running when he reached the gate. As he walked to his room he wondered if he could ever win back Nadia’s trust. I really liked her—before I suspected her of treason.

  Earlier, when they’d left the Dean’s office, she’d said, “You fabricated our entire relationship. I was your mission. I meant nothing to you.”

  “That’s not true. I was devastated when I thought you were guilty. When I saw the dead drop at the dance, I tried to explain it away, to give you the benefit of the doubt, but how could I?”

  “You gave me those earrings before the dance, hours before the dead drop, so don’t pretend that’s when you first became suspicious. Nobody bugs someone unless they think it’ll pay off. You thought I was guilty before we even met!” When she was angry her eyes turned the color of summer moss.

  “I was ordered to watch you. I thought the wiretap would clear your name!”

  She’d been standing close enough for him to smell the faint coconut of her shampoo. Her face reddened as she whispered, “You heard me talking to Libby about you.” In that moment he’d felt her slip away, like an iceberg breaking off into the ocean. He’d wanted to stop it, but he didn’t know how.

  Jack wiped the sweat from his forehead and went through the lobby of the boys’ dorm. Down the hall, tacked to his door, he found a pink message slip. Noah had scribbled, “Dean Wolfe wants to see you in his office right away.”

  Jack’s stomach dropped. He glanced at his watch as he ran back down the hall—after 2100 hours. He must be furious to stay this late. I’m getting expelled.

  Jack climbed the steps of Hopi Hall like a man walking to the electric chair. He plodded toward Wolfe’s office, knocked on the open door.

  “Jack, thanks for coming in.”

  “I’m sorry you’ve been waiting. I went for a run and just got your message.”

  “It’s fine. Sit down.” He pointed to the wingback chairs.

  Here it comes.

  “Listen, about this afternoon.” Dean Wolfe leaned back. He tapped his pen on the desk.

  He’s going to tell me to pack my things. My life is over.

  “I owe you an apology. I should’ve been more specific about what was acceptable and what was not.”

  Jack’s mouth hung open as he stared at Dean Wolfe. “What?”

  “I regret I wasn’t clear.”

  “Dean Wolfe, I’m the one who’s sorry.” Jack sat forward on the edge of his chair. “I know I should’ve gotten permission ahead of time. In my haste to protect the Academy, I didn’t bother with the proper channels.”

  “Well, you saw an opportunity and you acted. Unfortunately, it was the wrong decision. But you showed determination and initiative, and that’s important.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “You understand bugging a fellow student—or breaking into someone’s room—is a violation of both school policy and that person’s civil rights, correct?”

  “Yes sir.” Jack nodded. Well, I do now.

  “Nevertheless, I feel somewhat accountable for your actions. My request lacked explicit instruction, and I probably put too much pressure on you earlier this week when I suggested making a change. I trust nothing like this will ever happen again?”

  “No, absolutely not. Thank you. I’m very sorry.” Jack scooted back in his seat and relaxed into the leather.

  “There is one more thing.” Wolfe paused. “Close the door.”

  Jack jumped from his chair and shut the door. He sat back down.

  “Nadia caught you in her room. She discovered she was under investigation. If she is the double, she had no choice but to march you over here and confront us. Claiming innocence doesn’t exonerate her, and I’m not convinced she’s clean. After ordering you two to continue as before, it doesn’t make sense to reassign the case. I need you to stay on assignment.”

  “Absolutely. I’ll do my best,” Jack answered automatically. Though thrilled with Dean Wolfe’s continued trust, the idea that Nadia might still be guilty caused a sinking feeling in his stomach. He hesitated before asking, “Do you have any other leads?”

  “Nadia remains our primary suspect. We’ve had concerns about Marcus Sloan before. His itinerary doesn’t always—” He
shook his head and stopped. “I specifically told him I was not interested in Nadia Riley. He ignored my apprehension. It’s as though he has some personal stake in her attending the Academy.”

  Jack remained quiet.

  “I think that’s all for this evening.”

  Jack stood and extended his arm. “Thank you.”

  “I’ll see you soon.”

  Jack let himself out and closed the door. He leaned against the wood and exhaled. His eyes stung. A second chance. I didn’t ruin my life.

  In the morning, I’ll redouble my efforts. I’ve got to find something for Dean Wolfe.

  Back in his room, Jack took a twenty-minute shower. He stepped out into the steam-filled bathroom, wiped the mirror with his towel and studied his reflection. He couldn’t stop thinking about Nadia, about what the Dean had said—something didn’t fit.

  She couldn’t get to Canada without a passport, and I checked her passport myself. If she didn’t take that trip, someone planted evidence to make it look like she did. And why would she keep a ticket stub? She could’ve flushed it down the toilet. Unless she didn’t know it was there.

  He squeezed the middle of his toothpaste tube and stuck the brush in his mouth.

  The cryptic phone call before the dance talked about a meet. He wondered, though. Nadia didn’t seem to acknowledge she understood the message. But would she? She’d play dumb, right? In case it was being recorded. But the whole thing—it was sloppy work. Why would she allow her coworkers to contact her on a public telephone?

  The dead drop—that incriminated her, for sure. Jack had read the disc himself. But if it’s a frame job, of course it would contain actual information, right? And the disc wasn’t even encrypted.

  He spat in the sink and rinsed his mouth. Maybe I should trust my gut—I thought she was innocent from the start. Well, until I didn’t. Then I threw her under the bus.

  I’m going to make a horrible agent.

  58

  NADIA

  FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2

  “Nadia-san, the world of espionage is a fragile house of smoke and sand. It slips between your fingers, disappears into air. From now on, illusion and deceit are your companions; intelligence and stealth your weapons,” Sensei said as they concluded Friday’s lesson. “In the future, you would be wise to remember: when the tiger smiles, it is not because he wants to be your friend.”