by Lynn Ames
“Based on the fact that Torgensen showed up on the scene so quickly, can we agree that the man behind the voice was likely Fairhaven?” Vaughn asked.
“How can I agree to anything?” Sage asked, her voice shaking with frustration. “I don’t even know who any of these people are.”
“Torgensen, the hit man who shot Vaughn, was a CIA agent. Ostensibly he was sent by Washington to replace you after you were taken. It was a setup—his true purpose was to keep an eye on Vaughn and to prevent her from rescuing you.”
Vaughn watched as Sage physically flinched. She touched her gently on the arm. “Listen, Justine and I can sift through all of this stuff. The only thing you need to think about is if there was anything unusual leading up to your abduction—anything at all out of the ordinary.”
“I don’t need to be coddled or sheltered, Vaughn. Don’t patronize me.” Sage stood in front of her defiantly, jaw set, eyes blazing. After an uncomfortable pause, she asked, “Who is Fairhaven?”
Vaughn sighed. Sage could be of use—she had a good mind and strong analytical skills. She also offered a different perspective that might prove important. “Edgar Fairhaven is the second most powerful person in the CIA.”
“How do you two know these people?” Sage looked from Vaughn to Justine.
Vaughn exchanged a glance with Justine. Not only was it against regulation to disclose any affiliation with the CIA, but it also would put Sage at risk. They’re already trying to kill her, what more could they do to her, genius. She nodded to Justine.
“Sage, this is the world we move in,” Justine said.
After a moment, comprehension dawned in Sage’s eyes. “You’re CIA agents?” She looked from one of them to the other. “So, what, you’ve been lying to me all along? Your assignment with DS was just a cover?” She faced Vaughn.
“No. I don’t work for the CIA anymore. My job was real, my assignment was real, and I never lied to you about anything.”
“That’s part of what’s so confusing to us, Sage,” Justine said, stepping in. “There was no reason for the Company—the CIA—to have any involvement here.”
“But you’re CIA, and you’re here.”
“I’m here because Vaughn called me after you were taken, and I offered to help. I’m not here in any official capacity. In fact, I’m on ‘vacation.’”
Sage sat down heavily on the sofa. “Wow. This is seriously convoluted.”
“Yes, it is, and that’s not all of it, either,” Vaughn said. “Fairhaven is a childhood chum of the secretary of state. Do you remember when we first met, you told me my papers didn’t come through the usual channels?”
“Yes. They came directly from the secretary.”
“Right. Well, I think it’s pretty clear my posting wasn’t a coincidence. For some reason, Fairhaven wanted me here.”
“The question is,” Justine broke in, “why? Vaughn and I believe that you were the primary target, although we still don’t know why. It doesn’t make any sense to want a trained former CIA agent hanging about. There was too big a chance that Vaughn would come after you.”
All three women were silent for a few minutes as they considered the possibilities. Finally, it was Sage who spoke. “Has it occurred to you that perhaps my being taken wasn’t pre-meditated?”
“Sage, it was a well-coordinated strike. There’s no way that wasn’t thought out ahead of time,” Vaughn said.
“You’re missing my point. Maybe they didn’t know they were going to kidnap me until after you had already arrived. That still would have given them several days to plan the kidnapping. Wouldn’t that have been enough time?”
“You’re a genius.” Vaughn kissed her on the top of the head.
“I’m glad you think so.” Sage laughed.
“If she’s right,” Vaughn said to Justine, “then the real question is, what happened in those couple of days after I arrived that set this in motion?”
“That scenario certainly would narrow the possibilities, although I’m not convinced it’s that simple.”
“Sage, I really need you to think about those days. Was there anything out of the ordinary? Anything that sticks out in your mind?”
“You mean, apart from…” Sage blushed.
“Yes,” Vaughn said too quickly. “Apart from that.” Vaughn chanced a quick glance at Justine and noted that she had the decency to pretend she didn’t know what they were talking about.
“Let’s see,” Sage said, thinking out loud. “I followed my usual routine, set up meetings for your visit, sifted through piles of mail…”
“Was there any unusual correspondence, anybody you met that seemed out of place?”
“No.”
“Did you see the ambassador during those two days? Have any contact with him?”
“No.”
“Did you take any calls from the States?”
“No.”
Vaughn shook her head. “This is no good. We’re not getting anywhere. We must be coming at this from the wrong angle.”
“You and I already discussed and dismissed the possibility that they took Sage as a means to flush you out,” Justine said. “You said yourself that if Fairhaven had wanted you, he could’ve had you any time during the last year.”
“Unless he wanted me out of the country when he did it.”
“Even so, he didn’t need to kidnap Sage to take care of you and you know it. He could’ve taken you out on the street or in the hotel. You could’ve contracted a case of dysentery or food poisoning. There are a hundred less complicated ways he could’ve gotten the job done.”
“True, but we can’t ignore the fact that my orders came directly from Pordras. What was that about?”
Justine shrugged. “How about if we treat you and Sage as two separate issues for now?”
“Fair enough.” Vaughn bent over. Her chest was aching and fatigue clouded her mind.
“I think we ought to call it a night,” Sage said. “We could all use some rest.”
“We don’t have time,” Vaughn protested. “Nate said we had forty-eight hours max before we got made.”
“Sage is right. Nothing good is going to come of banging our heads against the wall. A good night’s sleep will help clarify things.”
“I hate that the two of you are ganging up on me, you know that?” Vaughn grumbled but nevertheless headed for the bedroom she’d napped in earlier that day.
Sage awakened to the sound of her own scream. She was breathing hard and sweat stained her T-shirt. The nightmare was the same one she’d had every night since being taken. The gun was against her head, the sword in her back, and she was being forced into a pit where she would be buried alive.
She shivered involuntarily. If she went back to sleep, it would start all over again. She bit her lip. “You know what you want. Why bother pretending?” She slipped into a pair of shorts and padded quietly down the stairs.
For several moments, Sage simply watched Vaughn sleep.
“Are you just going to stand in the doorway?”
“You knew I was here?”
“Before you even reached the bottom of the stairs.”
“How?”
“Training.”
“Oh.”
“What’s on your mind?”
“I-I was having a nightmare, and I couldn’t sleep.”
“C’mere,” Vaughn said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Vaughn held the covers open while Sage slid between the sheets. “Aren’t you going to take your shorts off?”
“Um, I didn’t know—”
“Sage, take your shorts off. It’s okay. I don’t think either one of us is in any shape to get aroused, do you?”
“No, but…” Sage wiggled out of her shorts, noticing for the first time that Vaughn was naked.
“Is there a problem?”
“N-no. Of course not. Do you want me to…”
“If you’re more comfortable leaving your shirt on, go ahead. The choice
is yours.”
Sage removed her good arm from the sleeve, pulled the shirt over her head, then eased it over her bad arm.
“You’re not sleeping with the sling on?”
“It’s too uncomfortable.”
“I don’t want to jostle you.”
“Then don’t,” Sage said, cuddling up to Vaughn and laying a soft kiss on her shoulder. A feeling of peace engulfed Sage, and she drifted off.
CHAPTER NINTEEN
“I know! I know!” Sage’s eyes snapped open.
“What?” Vaughn’s voice was rough with sleep.
“There was something unusual that happened. But it was so bizarre, so ridiculous, I didn’t even realize.”
“What are you talking about?”
Sage sat up against the headboard. “You asked me about any unusual correspondence. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner.”
“Think of what?”
“Do you remember when we ran into each other outside the ballroom? I’d been pissed at you and avoided you. You asked me to lunch.”
“Yes. What does that have to do with anything?”
“Remember at lunch I told you I’d had an awful morning?”
“Vaguely.”
“That was because of my run-in with the head of the mailroom. I told you that at the time.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t you see?”
“Apparently not,” Vaughn said dryly.
“The classified mail clerk had just dropped off my mail. I read it, and there was one piece of correspondence that didn’t make any sense. So I looked at the envelope. It was addressed to the ambassador, not to me.”
“How did it get to you then?”
“It was in the pouch from Washington that had to do with the upcoming congressional visit, so the clerk assumed it should go to me, since I was the control officer.”
Now Vaughn sat up. “What did it say, and who was it from?”
Sage closed her eyes and tried to recall. “Something about camels being in place to spit and teaching the shrew a lesson at recess.” Sage opened her eyes again. “Like I said, it didn’t make any sense.”
“Can you remember who the memo was from?”
“I don’t think it said. That was one of the strange things about it. It was on plain white paper, not stationery, and there was no letterhead. It was so odd that I looked at the envelope again. On the bottom it said ‘Ambassador’s eyes only,’ but it was smeared.”
“What did you do with it when you realized it wasn’t for you?”
“I walked it down to Trindle, the head mail clerk.” Sage remembered what a jerk the man had been.
“What’s that face for?”
“What face?”
“That look, like you just stepped in dog shit.”
Sage laughed. “The man was a total idiot. He treated me like I was a moron, and then he called over the poor guy who had mistakenly delivered the piece to me in the first place and ripped him to shreds.”
“What happened after that?”
“Nothing. He sealed it back in the envelope and no doubt took it himself to the ambassador.”
“He didn’t read it?”
“No.”
“Did he ask if you had read it?”
“Yes, and I said I had, before I realized that it wasn’t meant for me.”
“Would the clerk who gave it to you have read it?”
“No, that’s not his job.”
“So the head clerk knew that you were the only one who read it?”
“Yes.”
“And he took it to the ambassador?”
“I can’t say that as an absolute fact, but I’m sure that’s correct. It was for the ambassador’s eyes only, and someone in the mail room screwed up. Trindle would’ve had to explain what happened.”
“That was the day before you were taken,” Vaughn mumbled. “Spitting camels and shrews at recess? Are you sure?”
“Positive, and let me tell you, if I never smell a camel or hear one spit again, it’ll be too soon.”
“What?”
Sage shivered involuntarily. “I said—”
“I know what you said, I just don’t understand why you’re saying that.”
“You try riding a camel blindfolded with your hands tied to the saddle.” Sage crossed her wrists in front of her to demonstrate.
“Is that how they got you up north?”
“Yes, we traveled by camel.”
“Sage, I need you to remember exactly how the memo was worded.”
Sage closed her eyes again. She had always had a gift for recall—it was one of the things that made her good at what she did. “The camels are in place and ready to spit. Your job is to give the shrew an education at recess on the twenty-third. She’ll need some fresh air between classes. Confirm receipt and destroy immediately.”
Vaughn scrambled out of bed and stood before the windows. The sun was not yet up, and the mountains appeared ominous in the inky darkness. “Remind me,” she said, her back to Sage, “what was the majority leader’s schedule?”
“First of all, if you want me to concentrate, you ought to put on some clothes.” Sage stared appreciatively at Vaughn’s shapely backside.
Vaughn turned and rolled her eyes, but threw on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. “Better?”
“No, but I did ask for it. The majority leader’s visit starts with a formal reception, an address to the National Assembly, then there are the trips to the schools up north…” Sage’s voice trailed off and her eyes opened wide. “Surely you don’t think…”
“Give the shrew an education at recess? That’s what you said, right?”
“Yes, on the twenty-third.”
“Do you remember what days the majority leader was supposed to be visiting the schools?”
“Not off the top of my head.”
“No matter,” Vaughn said, going to her duffle. She unzipped it and removed her briefcase. “I ripped this month’s page off your blotter.”
“You…”
“I was looking for clues, and I thought I might find something useful on it.”
Sage got out of bed and went to Vaughn. She put her hand on Vaughn’s face. “Have I said thank you yet? If I have, great. If not, I’ll say it now. Thank you for caring about me. Thank you for coming after me. Thank you for risking your life and your career for me.” She blinked away the tears that formed on her lashes.
“You’re welcome,” Vaughn said. She leaned down and kissed Sage gently. “I’m sorry it took me so long.” Her voice was hoarse with emotion.
“I knew you’d come. Every time I got scared, I reminded myself that you were out there looking for me.”
“So you told me. I’m glad you were so sure.”
“I’m glad I was right.” Sage kissed Vaughn, just because she could, and because the temptation was too great. She avoided looking at the bandage inches below the right shoulder and inches above the breast. She didn’t want to think about how close she’d come to never having this opportunity again.
“Anyway,” Vaughn said, pulling back and unfolding the blotter page. “Let’s take a look.” She spread the page out on a table, then recoiled as though she’d been slapped.
“What is it?” Sage asked.
“Trindle,” Vaughn said, and pointed to a doodle in the corner of the square of the day before Sage was taken. The disappointment was clear on her face.
“So?”
“Do you have any idea how many times I looked at this page? I never made the connection. I didn’t see it.”
“Why would you? You couldn’t know who he was.”
“I had a list of employees. I could’ve cross-referenced.”
“Vaughn, no human being would’ve known to check that.”
“It doesn’t matter. The issue now is to get answers.”
Sage could see that she was trying to shrug it off, so she let it go. Vaughn’s impossible expectations of herself would be a topic for another day.
“The school visits are planned for the twenty-second and twenty-third.”
“That’s it, then. The majority leader is the shrew. They’re planning to take out the majority leader on the twenty-third and make it look like it’s the act of a band of renegade locals.”
“The camels spitting would be Tuareg assassins?”
“Yes.” Vaughn’s eyes were bright and her voice had lost its sleepy quality.
“Wait a minute. This doesn’t make any sense. Who would want to kill the senate majority leader? If the message was meant for the ambassador, that means he’s part of the plot, right?”
“So it would seem. Or, at the very least, he knows about it.”
Sage sat down on the edge of the bed. “So this is sanctioned by the U.S. government? Our government wants to kill the most powerful female elected official in the country?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But…” Sage’s head hurt.
“Let’s get dressed and find Justine. We’ve got a lot to discuss and not much time to work with.”
“Where are you now?” Vaughn was trying hard to be patient, but time was slipping through their fingers.
“An hour closer than I was last time you called me. I’m glad you’re feeling better, Elliott,” Sabastien said. “You know how I can tell you’re feeling better? Because you have no patience.”
“I’m glad you think that’s a good sign. You’re going to have some serious gadgets with you, right?”
“Of course. Elliott, don’t worry. I’ve got it covered.”
“Okay. Hurry.”
“I’m going as fast as I can.”
“You’re not being followed, right?”
“Actually, I thought it would be really cool if I led them right to your door,” Sabastien said.
“I’m sorry. It’s just—well, be careful and watch yourself.”
“Your concern is touching. I’ll be fine. See you in a bit.”
Vaughn terminated the call and sat down gingerly in an oversized chair across from Sage and Justine. “He’ll be here soon.”
“Good,” Justine said. “Here’s hoping he can find answers that fill in some of these huge gaps.”
Vaughn nodded. “We can start doing some of the research ourselves while we wait.” She pointed to the laptop sitting on the coffee table. “We need to know what political enemies the esteemed majority leader has made, particularly of late.”
