Covert Operations

by Sara Schoen

  “She told me, and I just went with it to be honest.” Camden sighed and rubbed his temples, as if to relax. “I have to find something on that guy before I see her again, or this could fall to pieces. I might have to cancel the date again, and I’m sure this girl wouldn’t like that. She won’t believe twice in a row that I had to help a client.”

  “She knows the job, well…the one you claim to have, anyway. I’m sure she understands you’re trying to find someone and that takes time,” I replied, noticing his groan and slouched posture. He must be stressed out over this. It was taking him a long time to find the girl he could tolerate to be with for the rest of his life, yet he was forced to focus on the cartel more than dating. I wanted him distracted, and getting him on a date was just the way to do that. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t offer to help him out? “If it would help, I would be happy to do some of the searching. That way, you wouldn’t have to cancel on the girl again.”

  “Really?” Camden asked, seeming shocked. I rarely offered to help him look for people. I normally passed it off to someone else, because I didn’t want to waste my time. I liked knowing that when I left the compound for the day, it meant I got to sit in the loft off-duty, away from prying eyes.

  Normally, Camden would leave and take another person with him for the night. I was able to go for a run, enjoy the alone time, and think about what life would be like once this mission was over. I couldn’t wait to leave the cartel, knowing each and every member would get what they deserved. Maybe Sharp Shooter would let me go home to see my sister, or at least let me meet some of the other agents. I hadn’t met many agents since I first joined, only a few on our occasional private meetings, including Demon and Whip Lash. No one else communicated with me, and they wouldn’t until I was able to shed my disguise.

  “Yeah, I don’t do much after we leave here anyway,” I said with a shrug. “There’s no need for you to stress over it. It’s time you start delegating like you will when you take over. Just don’t delegate to me too often, because it’s not my job,” I joked. He laughed and offered me a smile before I continued. “I will do some preliminary searching tonight, give you something to talk about if she calls sooner than you expect. I think André has another case on his desk anyway, with that family looking for their missing daughter in Virginia. That could take a while,” I said, remembering that I had placed the file on his desk when it came in. André was the one who did all the research for our cases to keep appearances up. This time he would be waist deep looking for information on that girl from Virginia.

  I had looked over the file of the missing girl while waiting in André’s office to pass along more files. I could tell by looking through the minimal information that this would be a dead end. There wasn’t even a photo of the person he’d been looking for. How could the family have no pictures of their own daughter? She was in high school, so they had to at least have a school photo of her. She hadn’t just appeared into their lives. Though, even with a photo, it would have been difficult to find anything on the girl. She had vanished from school in the middle of the day. The teacher claimed she went to the bathroom and never came back. The cameras had caught nothing because half of them had been vandalized and the other half were dummy cameras. André had his work cut out for him on that one, but whenever that happened and he didn’t get leads, he would come up with an excuse to close the case.

  I didn’t want that to happen to Danielle. I needed some way to end this so she could move on. If she had continued to search for me all these years, I could only imagine how much it consumed her. Had she never moved on after the crash? How was this affecting her? It couldn’t be good, but either way I needed answers, and I knew just where to find them. If I could get Camden out of the house tonight, even if it just meant coming back to this office, then I could look into her life since the crash. I could forge photos and documents as a paper trail, then maybe find a way to end this. She’d get her closure so she could move on. It was time for her to start her own life instead of waiting for me to come back.

  “That would be great, Marco,” Camden said, smiling in relief. “That could work. I’d really appreciate it, actually. That will be a load off my mind, but what about this shipment problem? I can’t keep telling my father the deal fell through.”

  I flinched as Camden brought up the shipment problem again. I guess I couldn’t expect him to forget about it, since he would be the one getting in trouble for it. “Let me deal with it. Tell him you’re dealing with this case and finding a girl,” I instructed, getting up from the chair in front of his desk. “He will understand you’re trying to settle this business before you take control, and that you’re worried about keeping up the appearance. I will take care of the preliminary research and keep tabs on André to see when he’s done with the other case. I’ll talk to Miguel about the shipment loss, so don’t even worry about it.”

  Camden agreed, and I left his office before he could change his mind. I didn’t want to make it obvious I was trying to keep him off the case, and preventing him from pursuing whoever had caused trouble with the shipments. It would only lead to trouble for me.

  I walked down the hall, passing off the guard duty to one of the others. I waited for him to go inside Camden’s office before I left. With no one else in the small building, it would seem unimportant if another group were watching us. This was just another one of Miguel’s changes after the attack on Sandtown’s base. They hoped that with only Camden’s office in this building, and as few people around him as possible, that if someone attacked this base they wouldn’t know where to strike. I was one of the few, and could tell CIRA where to strike, but every day when I left I stopped in front of the mirror someone had placed at the end of the hall, and realized I wasn’t so sure who I was anymore. I looked different. I was different. The man Danielle had been searching for didn’t exist anymore, and I stood in his place, a shell of someone who no longer existed.

  Chapter 5

  Camden left a little while ago for his date with his mystery girl. I was thankful to have the loft to myself. Once he was gone, it felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. I enjoyed a sweet moment of relief. For the next few hours I didn’t have to focus on constantly living behind a cover. I didn’t have to worry about getting caught in a lie, or what the Russian would have said instead of what I wanted to say. For a short time I wasn’t dancing on eggshells, waiting for this charade to get me killed. These were the moments I could be myself, even though I wasn’t sure who that was anymore. I had become a different person while undercover. I hoped I would get out before I completely lost myself.

  A heavy sigh escaped my lips before I flipped open the laptop computer Camden had left with me. I needed to find something Camden could pass off to Danielle for information, and hopefully get her away from him before it was too late. However, I didn’t know how to track a person down. That was André’s expertise, and he was very good at it. He had spent time working for the first few people who had inquired about the cartel’s investigative services, and done remarkably well. He had his targets in a matter of hours, even some who had changed names, gone through reconstructive surgery, or had been in hiding for years. The Cardozas kept him around, and that could be why. But it was also why I couldn’t ask him for help. He’d find out who I was in a few days if he was given half a chance, and I’d wake up with the barrel of a gun in my face.

  Unsure how to start, I tried to think like André, suddenly wishing I had paid attention more when André discussed his job with me. I didn’t know what would make Danielle stop searching for me. I didn’t want to give her a death certificate because it would crush us both. I couldn’t lie to her, even though I knew everyone else thought I was dead already. A chance remained that I could see her when this mission was over, so I didn’t want to crush her. But maybe I could convince her I wasn’t coming back. If I could convince her that I had gone missing overseas, she may give up and assume I was dead like CIRA want
ed. Either way, I would have to do it on my own because if I started asking questions, André would try to take over.

  Then I’ll be dead.

  There had to be a way out of this mission without getting caught. There was always a way out of a sticky situation. It took some finesse, but there had to be a way. There had been so much I wanted to do, and it didn’t include getting recruited into this agency no one knew existed. I wanted her to know I was alive, but I also wanted to stay and work with CIRA so that men like the Cardozas couldn’t hurt anyone else. Demon had once said when I finished this mission I could request whatever I wanted. Maybe I could request that she know about the agency, and then I could stay and she’d know I was alive. I had to get through this first. The computer finally booted up.

  “Where to start?” I asked myself. “You used to waste all your time on social media, Danielle. So let’s try that.” I knew she had connected all of her social media accounts to her Facebook in high school, even though Mom had told her it was a bad idea, so it didn’t take long to find out what she had been up to in the last four years.

  I found photos of us, mostly old ones from when we were kids. She had a few status updates about her life, most of them including a plea to continue looking for me. I felt a pang of sorrow sweep over me as I realized I hadn’t seen any of these people in years. It had been so long, everyone must have moved on by now. To them, I had died, and they wouldn’t waste their time to look for a dead man. Danielle hadn’t believed that. I couldn’t blame her, because if she had gone missing, I never would have stopped looking. She had to let go. I had to find a way to help her do that.

  There were a few recent photos of people I remembered, including Natalie and Jamie. They had been best friends with Danielle since they were in elementary school, maybe preschool, I couldn’t remember. I was glad to see they were still inseparable even though they went to different schools, and lived in different towns now according to their accounts. I discovered Danielle had chosen Albany College, and I hoped the money from our parents’ deaths and the accident helped her make payments. It had to be difficult for her, especially with no one there to show her the way or help her through the hard times. I had my parents for most of my life, and they had taught me a lot, but Danielle hadn’t enjoyed the same time with them. I should have been there for her, but instead I had left her alone to deal with it on her own.

  I pushed past those thoughts as I followed the links to her other accounts, until finding one that showed nothing but status updates. She seemed to update them every hour or so. I guess she never got over having internet on her phone, and being able to do everything from her phone no matter where she was. I scrolled through the first ones as she talked about studying for a science test. She always hated science. I scrolled through a few more until the website updated to tell me that she had just posted a new one.

  Scrolling to the top, the newest update informed me she had finished getting ready for a date. She hoped it would go well, instead of ending like the last one. A few people commented, most I didn’t know, saying they were happy to see her going on a date. I saw Jamie’s comment telling Danielle to keep in touch with her so she wouldn’t worry. I guess Jamie had stepped up into the sibling and mom position to take care of Danielle after everything happened. I’m glad someone did. She needed someone to help her get through it. I continued to read Jamie’s comments, and other people’s responses, until I came across a familiar name. Cardoza. I felt as if my heart had stopped as I read over the comment again.

  She’s on a date with Camden Cardoza.

  I felt anger boiling up. Camden had said he was on a date with another girl. I shouldn’t be surprised that he had lied, because he did it all the time. Though he didn’t usually lie to me. There were a few comments asking where they had met, how they met, why there weren’t photos so they could see what he looked like, but I didn’t read them all, nor the responses Jamie sent. I erased the history of the laptop, and shut it down before stepping over to the window to get some fresh air.

  The partially open window offered a view over the street. There were a few people out, and the cool breeze helped some of my anger evaporate, but not all of it. I couldn’t believe she was on a date with Camden. I slammed my fist onto the wall, causing the window to shake due to the vibration. No wonder Camden had been so cautious about mentioning the girl. He didn’t want anyone to know he was seeing a client. How could Danielle be so careless to get mixed up with the Cardozas? I don’t care how it looked, they were bad news, and now Danielle has dragged herself into the middle of a fight between CIRA and a cartel. I just prayed she didn’t get caught in the crosshairs when the bullets started flying.

  ***

  I had stayed up to talk to Camden about his date. There were a few questions I needed answered before I could sleep, but if he was any later I would fall asleep on the couch. I also needed to find a way to warn Danielle without damaging my chances of successfully completing this mission. I was about to give up waiting for him when he came home with a big goofy grin on his face. If he’d been a normal guy, someone who wasn’t about to become the leader of a cartel, I would have been happy for him. Though, right now, the only emotion I could work up was anger. I bit my tongue to prevent anything harsh from slipping out. I couldn’t let him suspect me.

  “You look happy,” I observed, causing Camden to stop in his tracks. He must not have noticed I was still awake, waiting for him to come home. There had been a guard with him, but I hoped my late night appearance would just make me seem like a worried friend and nothing more.

  “You waited for me. That’s touching,” Camden joked before rolling his eyes and taking a seat on the chair closest to me. If Camden hadn’t been the heir to a cartel, I could see him being a good friend. His demeanor reminded me of someone I once knew before I went into the Army, but I tended to not make friends with people who would order me killed for talking out of turn. “Her name is Danielle Reeves,” Camden said after a long hesitation.

  “Isn’t that the girl whose brother I’m looking into?” I asked. “I didn’t find much on him, by the way. I’ll have to try a few other things after asking André for advice, but anyway, I thought you were dating some other girl. Danielle interrupted that date, right?”

  “I was seeing someone else, and then I got interrupted by her asking me for help to find her brother.” Camden rubbed the back of his neck, as if embarrassed to talk about it. “I met her a few years ago, and took a chance, but she didn’t show. When she called again, I dropped the other girl, and this time it just worked out.”

  “If she turned you down before, how did you get her to go out with you again?”

  “I told her I would help look for him, and I wouldn’t charge her anything.”

  I raised my eyebrows in shock. The fee was a hefty one, and for him to take the blow, that meant something. I started to tell him how much it impressed me, but he interrupted.

  “I offered on the premise that she go on at least one date with me, since she skipped out on the last one,” he explained. “I was hoping that by doing that I could show her a great time. I knew when I first saw her that she was the one, and now I just have to get her to see it.”

  My jaw clenched tightly as he spoke. I tried not to show my anger, but my teeth felt as if they were starting to crack under the pressure. He was using me to get to Danielle, and I could see the plan forming in his head. He would just keep saying he was looking for me so he could keep going out with her. I saw through his charade, but Danielle would be too blinded by hope to even consider he might be lying to her.

  “The guy has been missing for four years, so it should take a while to find any relevant information,” he went on. “That just means I can take longer to look for it, giving her a little bit at a time to keep her around. She’s spent a lot of time looking for him on her own since their parents died when she was in high school. I’ll just take a while finding things, and when she forgets she’s only seeing me so that I look for her b
rother, then I can make her mine and take over the cartel like I’m supposed to.”

  “And if she doesn’t forget?” I asked through clenched teeth.

  “I’ll make something up, or I’ll get you to find something on the guy. It can’t be that hard.” Camden didn’t say anything after that. I wanted to tell him he couldn’t do this to her, that it would only hurt her more in the long run, but he wouldn’t care. Camden was just looking for someone tolerable so he could take over. He didn’t care whether or not he hurt her, and if I did tell him, I would end up revealing my identity, and I couldn’t do that.

  I had to find a way to get her out of this. I needed to see Demon. I would have to leave something for him, and hope that he got back to me before I blew my cover and ruined years of hard work. Otherwise, I would only put more people in danger.

  Chapter 6

  Camden had given most of the cartel members the day off so he could work with his father at the new base. I was told to take some time off after I handled a few people for him. Some of the cartel members had family members or friends who had been working in the compound the night the raid occurred. Camden said he wanted to give them a few days off in case feelings were still riding high even a few months after the raid. In the long run, Camden was a nice guy, showing respect for those who’d lost someone close to them, but I still didn’t trust him. I knew he had another objective. I just wasn’t sure what.

  Shortly after joining the cartel, I learned each person had their own motives that only benefited them. They wanted to make sure if something went south they were taken care of, but they didn’t realize it was impossible to stay safe in this business. When someone joined the cartel, it was either out of loyalty or they had no other options, but either way there wasn’t a way out. If they tried to run, go to the police, or find another way to escape, they were dealt with permanently and I was typically the one to do it.