Undercover Agent

by Slade, Heather

  One day soon, I’d get the word that it was time for me to leave. I’d be part of the team that would go into wherever Saint and Dr. Benjamin were being held, extract them, and then bring them home.

  Home wasn’t here in America; it was in England. Not just their home, but mine too.

  I kissed the cheek of my sleeping princess and then eased my body off the bed.

  “Good morning,” Emerson’s father said, startling me when I walked through the door from the back porch into the kitchen.

  “Good morning,” I responded, shielding my eyes when he turned on the light.

  “You and I should have a chat, young man,” he said, motioning for me to follow.

  —:—

  “What are you doing here?” asked Irish when I opened the door to Saint’s apartment.

  “Why are you still here?” I replied.

  “HQ for this op.”

  He was baiting me, and I was in no mood nor did I have time to engage. I walked down the hallway to retrieve my bag and saw Decker Ashford set up in Saint’s office.

  “Are they off?” I asked, confirming my instructions that Rile, Grinder, and my brother return to England until further notice. Decker and I would follow in two days’ time. If we needed to deploy, we would be twelve thousand kilometers closer from there than here.

  “Affirmative.”

  When I returned, Irish was waiting for me. “You headed back down the Cape?”

  It wasn’t any of his bloody business, and I resented the hell out of him for asking. I was about through the door when I heard him speak again.

  “Where’s Emme?”

  I pulled the door closed behind me.

  —:—

  “Thanks for seeing us, Ambassador. This is Lennox Edgemon, aka Lynx, MI6.”

  “What’s this ambassador shit? How the hell are you, Matrix?” I watched as the U.S. Ambassador to China stood, embraced Emerson’s father, and patted him on the back.

  “I’m Terry Stevens. My friends call me Buster.” I shook the ambassador’s outstretched hand. He walked over to a cabinet, opened the doors, and slid out what looked like a well-outfitted bar. He removed the stopper from one of the decanters and poured three glasses.

  “Thank you, sir,” I said when he handed one to me and one to Emerson’s father.

  The ambassador raised his glass. “Here’s to nukin’ those fuckers, or to be more politically correct—may the bold, the true, the gallant prevail.” The man downed the contents in one shot and slammed the glass on his desk.

  “Have a seat, and let’s get down to business. When Matrix here called me last night about this, I had my people reach out to some of our assets.”

  “I appreciate that, sir.”

  “I’m afraid the news isn’t good. Our sources have confirmed that two British citizens matching the description of your missing agent and his asset were arrested in Hong Kong. They weren’t alone. Two of our people were with them. I haven’t been able to confirm if they’re still there or if they’ve been transported to Beijing.”

  My mind raced as I processed the ambassador’s words. Other than knowing Saint and Dr. Benjamin had been arrested, we were no closer to knowing where they actually were. And now, instead of two, we’d be going in after four.

  “You’ve heard of Operation Fox Hunt?” the ambassador asked me with scrunched eyes.

  “Yes, sir.”

  He went on. “Their aim is to pursue Chinese citizens who have fled here after allegedly committing crimes. There’s no extradition treaty between our country or yours with China, and neither of us has been in the mood to cooperate with Beijing.”

  I knew that the Chinese government had deployed undercover agents not just to the U.K. and the States, but to other countries within the EU as well as Canada. One of their tactics was to harass family members living outside of China, in order to coerce targets to return.

  “You know what they’re gonna do to ’em if we extradite ’em, don’t ya?”

  “Yes, sir, I do.”

  The longer Ambassador Stevens spoke, the angrier I got with Dr. Benjamin. Assuming he was the one who set this in motion, he’d played right into Beijing’s hands, and the price the U.S. and the U.K. would have to pay was a steep one. So steep, I doubted they’d do it.

  “I expect that I’ll be hearing from Beijing sometime in the next forty-eight hours as will my counterpart in the U.K. They’ll tell us there’s an investigation pending on whatever charge they’ve trumped up, and then they’ll tell us what will make their investigation go away.”

  I already knew. There were three highly sought-after dissidents who had been given asylum in the U.K., and four in the U.S., all of whom China had been after for several years on espionage charges.

  “What can I do, Buster?” Rick asked.

  “Reach out to Jinyan.”

  I watched Emerson’s father raise his eyebrows.

  “Don’t give me that shit, Matrix. You’re in contact with him, I know you are.” The ambassador turned to me. “Will you excuse us, young man?”

  “Of course.” I stood and walked out. Before the door closed behind me, I heard the ambassador tell me not to go very far.

  What I really needed to do was call Z, who likely knew at least some of this already, but certainly not that Ambassador Stevens had gotten involved, or the role Rick Charles was playing in this.

  I’d been waiting less than five minutes when Emerson’s father came out and closed the door behind him.

  “Let’s go,” he said, motioning for me to follow.

  “Sir?” I asked when we walked out and the same SUV that met us on the tarmac was waiting at the curb.

  “I’ll explain once we’re on the plane.”

  I nodded and followed. What the hell else could I do?

  —:—

  When the plane landed at the private airfield near Logan, Rick’s vehicle was waiting on the tarmac like the SUV had been when we arrived in Washington. It wasn’t until we’d almost arrived at the house that he pulled the car over.

  “I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink.”

  “I should really—”

  He held up his hand. “I’ll be inside when you’re finished talking to Z.”

  I could hear my boss laughing when he answered my call. “I’ve got to hand it to you, Lynx. I don’t know how you did it, but somehow you got an audience with not just Buster Stevens but Matrix Charles as well. You might just get knighted for this one—that’s if you manage to get Dr. Benjamin the hell out of China without giving up the Chinese dissidents.”

  And Saint, I thought to myself, but knew better than to say it out loud. At this point, it was more likely Z would rather leave him there to rot.

  “My plan was to return to London.”

  “Are you daft? I know agents who would give their right arm to be in your position. You’ll stay put until you get further orders from me.”

  18

  Emerson

  Give your parents my thanks.

  No matter how many times I picked up the note and read it, no other words magically appeared.

  “Good morning, honey. Where’s your friend?”

  I folded the piece of paper Lynx had left on the daybed next to me and shoved it in my pocket. “He had to leave. He said to thank you and Dad.”

  “I’m sorry he couldn’t stay longer. It looked like you enjoyed his company and vice versa. Can I get you more coffee?”

  Nodding, I picked up my cup and handed it to her.

  “He’s the young man from London, right?”

  “You sound like Grandma Charles right now.”

  “I suppose I do,” she said, pulling out the chair next to me. “You don’t look happy.”

  “Pretty sure we covered that yesterday, Mom. Right before a helicopter landed on your lawn.”

  “I need to ask you something.”

  Oh, God. Here we go. “Mom, please. I’m not in the mood to talk.”

  She put her hand on mine, an
d I knew there was no way I’d get out of this conversation. “Okay, forget my question, just tell me what happened with Lynx.”

  “He left before sunrise.” Little did she know how apropos that was. Something else occurred to me. “Where’s Dad?” He was always the first up; my mother loved to sleep in.

  “He went into the city.”

  “Why? When?”

  “Earlier.”

  Two and two suddenly added up to four. “You are fucking kidding me.”

  “Emerson Jane.”

  I stalked over to the kitchen sink and tossed my coffee down the drain. “Are you serious right now?”

  “You know he can help.”

  “Why did you ask me where Lynx was if you already knew?”

  “Emerson…Jane…please…sit…down.”

  I hated the way she enunciated every word like she used to when I was a kid in trouble. I was twenty-eight fucking years old.

  “Do you want some more coffee?” I asked, resorting to civility in the hope she’d calm down.

  “Yes, and pour yourself some more too.”

  No please. That wasn’t good. I did as she asked, sat down, and folded my arms on the table. “Go ahead.”

  “When your father got up this morning, Lynx was up too. He offered to drive him to Boston.”

  I’d surmised that, but I doubted now was the best time to be a smart ass.

  “Tell me about Lynx.”

  “I already told you I don’t want to have this conversation.”

  “Do it anyway.”

  “Things aren’t as simple as they may appear.”

  My mom reached over and put her hand on mine. “We’ve got all day, Emerson.”

  “Lynx is an MI6 agent.”

  She nodded as though she already knew that.

  “He’s here because two of the people I’ve been working with on Chinese grand strategy have disappeared. Well, really only one that I work with. The other is my neighbor. Although, I think that maybe he’s been undercover too. Well, I don’t think; I actually know that he’s with MI6, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’ve both disappeared. And evidently, Lynx thinks I’m in danger, even though—”

  “Emerson!” my mother gasped, holding up one hand. “Slow down.”

  I took a deep breath. “Okay, so the MI6 agent who’s missing…his name is Niven St. Thomas, I call him Tommy. Anyway, the last time I saw him, we went to dinner, and then after dinner, he kissed me.”

  “Does he know about Lynx?”

  “No, because I didn’t know about him either.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I told you yesterday that I met him three years ago, and then he showed up at my building.”

  “Forgive me if this is all a bit much for my addled brain to remember.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Lynx showed up in Boston a couple of days ago. Prior to that, I didn’t know anything other than his first name.” I felt my cheeks flush and waited for my mother to look shocked. Or something. Instead, she motioned for me to get on with it.

  “Tommy has been gone for over two weeks.”

  “Okay. I’ve got it. Before he left, how did you and this other guy leave things?”

  I laughed out loud. We all knew who my mom was backing in this horse race.

  “I freaked out.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I didn’t expect him to kiss me.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “He left.”

  “Tommy left? So he kissed you, and now he’s been gone for two weeks. Did he call?”

  I shook my head. “Did he call? Did you not understand the part where I said he’s missing?”

  “He’s gone. There’s no reason you can’t move on with Lynx.”

  “It isn’t that simple, not to mention that sounds a little heartless.”

  “What’s stopping you?”

  “Because, other than having sex with him for one night three years ago, and the fact that he’s here now to find his missing agent, well, and the doctor who’s missing too…wait. What were we talking about?”

  My mother shook her head. “You and Lynx.”

  “There is no me and Lynx, although there kind of is.” I studied my mom’s face, wondering if I should go on.

  “What happened?” she asked, reaching out to cover my hand with hers.

  “We had sex. Last night.”

  “Then why would you say there is no you and Lynx?”

  “Because he left.” I dug the note out of my pocket and handed it to her. “Show me where it says he wants to see me again.”

  —:—

  I’d been sitting on the beach, throwing rocks into the water for God knew how long when my mother sat down beside me.

  “I’ve news.”

  “What?”

  “Your father is on his way home.”

  “I was beginning to think he took Lynx all the way to London.”

  “Yes, well, not quite that far. They did go to Washington.”

  I put my head in my hands. “Oh my God. What did Dad do?”

  “You’ll have to ask him yourself. Here he is now.”

  I looked behind me, ready to give him the third degree, but he wasn’t alone. Lynx was with him, and by the look on his face, it was obvious he’d already anticipated I wouldn’t be happy to see him. I stood and stalked down the beach away from them.

  “Emerson,” I heard my mother call after me, but I was already yards gone, brushing the sand off my butt.

  I’d begged my dad not to interfere when I went to work for MIT. Begged him, and he’d promised me he wouldn’t. Granted, two men had disappeared, but still, he’d usurped me, and I didn’t like it.

  “Emerson, wait,” I heard Lynx call after me, but I kept walking. I knew he’d catch up with me in a matter of seconds, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to just let him—so I started to run.

  I was right. Mere moments later, he was right behind me.

  “Stop!” he shouted.

  I did, but I didn’t turn around to look at him when I said, “I thanked my parents for you. Was there anything else?”

  He came around and stood in front of me. “There were things I needed to take care of. I didn’t plan to come back.”

  “So leave.” Instead of standing there not knowing what to do with my hands, I sat down on the sand. I expected Lynx would too, but he didn’t. He stood behind me and put his hands on my shoulders.

  “What I’m about to tell you isn’t likely to sit well.”

  “Say it and get it over with.”

  “I’ll be staying on here indefinitely.”

  “Wow. I’m so happy to hear that,” I said with zero inflection. When I tried to stand, I knew why he had his hands on my shoulders. To hold me in place.

  “Hear me out.”

  He sat beside me; I still hadn’t looked at him and didn’t plan to. The man was just too damn good-looking. If he smiled, I’d probably melt into a puddle, and I didn’t want to melt. I wanted to stay mad at the way he’d left this morning, essentially without a word.

  “Dr. Benjamin and Saint were arrested in Hong Kong.”

  “Oh my God.” I put my head in my hands, half with worry and half ashamed that I’d been so wrapped up in being mad at a man who was simply trying to save lives. “What now?”

  “Our governments will work to get them released.”

  “What about your brother and the other men? What are they doing?”

  “We’re attacking from both sides. One way or another, we’ll get them out of China.”

  I looked out at the water. “Then what?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’ll return to England.”

  It took him a while to answer. “Yes, Emerson.”

  I stood and walked in the opposite direction, past my parents’ house and farther down the beach. I didn’t turn around and look for Lynx; I already knew he wasn’t following me.

  “What do you mean I can’t come back?
” Why had I called Paxon in the first place?

  “What did Lynx tell you about the brush pass?”

  I held the phone away from my ear, seriously contemplating disconnecting the call. “Paxon,” I seethed. “I am in no mood for games. If there’s something I need to know, just…fucking…tell me!”

  “Okay, you don’t have to yell. Saint’s message contained a warning.”

  I was ready to scream. Literally scream. If there weren’t hordes of families on the beach wherever I looked, I would have. “What…was…the…warning?”

  “Essentially, it said to keep you safe.”

  I rolled my eyes, ready to pull my hair out. “That isn’t a warning.”

  “Look, you need to talk to Lynx. If you don’t want to talk to him, talk to your dad.”

  “My dad? What the hell does my dad have to do with this?” Thirty sets of eyeballs landed their shocked gaze on me. Yes, I’d just yelled, and if half of those eyeballs didn’t belong to children, I would’ve flipped them all off. Instead, I walked in the opposite direction of the water, toward the parking lot.

  “Hey, Emme,” I heard someone shout at me. I waved in the direction of the voice and kept going.

  “Are you going to answer me?”

  “I can’t. Talk to Lynx.”

  Beep, beep, beep. The bastard hung up on me.

  When I walked into my parents’ house, my mom, dad, and Lynx were all seated at the dining room table. I continued past them and was halfway up the stairs when I heard my father ask me to join them.

  “Please,” he said, standing at the bottom of the stairs.

  Paxon’s words replayed in my head. “You need to talk to Lynx. If you don’t want to talk to him, talk to your dad.”

  I didn’t understand what my father had to do with this. He’d retired from the state department three years ago, right after my brother died. Before he had, he’d been the Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security Affairs. It wasn’t a stretch to think he would have insight into China, but how much could he possibly have after all this time? And then to further confuse me, I was one of the leading policy writers for Chinese Grand Strategy. If he did have insight, why in the world hadn’t he ever discussed it with me? Maybe because I had specifically asked him not to interfere in my work, but still, it wasn’t just national security at risk.