Preston laughed. He was with the clandestine service within the CIA, which meant he was a spy. He and Elle had begun dating while working on an operation together that involved Elle’s master’s thesis. “Interrogation,” he said, giving her a look that made her feel like he saw right through her clothes, “is what the agency does best.” He took a bite of his food. “Wouldn’t expect them to do that to an analyst, though.”
Elle swallowed more of her wine. “Advance notice would’ve been nice.”
Preston stroked her hand. His touch still made her tingle. “What’s the fun in that?” He pulled her closer to him in the booth. “Besides, it’s highly unlikely you bombed it.” He twirled some of her spaghetti around her fork before holding it up to her mouth.
After another disgruntled look, Elle opened her mouth, allowing him to slide the fork past her lips.
He began to stroke her back with his other hand. “The purpose of the interview is to assess your loyalty to the United States and the agency.” She could feel her muscles loosen under his expert hands. “To make sure you’re not a terrorist trying to gain access to the agency or likely to be turned.” He fed her a meatball before bending to kiss a sensitive spot on her neck.
“Who would try to turn an analyst?” Elle wondered, her voice breathy. She really was putty in this man’s hands, and she was okay with that.
“A lot of people,” Preston assured her with a low chuckle in her ear that made parts of her clench. “All job candidates for the agency have to be thoroughly vetted.”
Between the wine and Preston, Elle was feeling better than she had all day. “Thoroughly vetted?”
“Oh, yes.” He captured her lips for a kiss. “Maybe I need to do my own vetting of our new recruit.”
Elle gasped when she felt his hand slide up her thigh. They were in a secluded booth but still… “I don’t think your vetting could be any more thorough,” she managed, feeling her body warm up.
“Impossible to be too thorough.” He nuzzled her throat, his lips tickling her skin.
“I guess it’s important for me to be accommodating.” Elle felt her body melt into his.
“Cooperation always earns candidates something extra.” Preston motioned for the check.
***
The next morning Elle took comfort in the familiarity of the coffee shop and her favorite coffee (although she made sure to pick up a bottled water, too). She refused to buy the cheap coffee. Even if she didn’t get the job with the CIA, she could afford this one cup. She would start drinking the plain, cheap coffee if she didn’t get hired.
Preston had slipped away before she even woke up, although she vaguely remembered his kiss before he left. Sleeping hadn’t been a problem, not by the time he was done with her, but it would’ve been nice if they could have grabbed breakfast- or coffee- together. Since they weren’t working together on the same operation anymore, she couldn’t know what he was doing. Yet another uncertain aspect in her life.
The same driver was waiting in front of her hotel. Something else that was familiar, even if he was as non-expressive as Mason. Maybe facial inscrutability was a skill taught during employee orientation. It would be useful when she had to see her parents’ spouses, although she had no intention of having to do that very often now that she was an independent adult. Independence had to be financed, however. Elle gulped down more coffee.
Mason was waiting by reception with her nametag. “Good morning.” His face was still blank. She couldn’t quite bring herself to take comfort in the sameness of his inexpressiveness.
Would he have her come in just to tell her she wasn’t going to be hired after all? Wouldn’t it be easier to do that over the phone and not even give her further access to the CIA headquarters? Cheered by those thoughts, she smiled at him. “Good morning.”
They flashed their IDs at the security checkpoint before riding the elevator up to third floor, where Mason’s still-spartan office was located. The only thing on his desk, besides the typical office stuff like a stapler and a cup holding some pens, was her folder. Elle felt a sense of deja-vu as she sat down across from him.
Mason regarded her for a moment before he spoke. “As I’m sure you’re aware, with the advent and growth of the internet, we are moving from the Industrial Age to the Technological Age.”
Elle did know that but didn’t know what it had to do with her, so she just nodded.
“Information is what espionage is all about. While plenty of information is still transmitted in the old school way, such as in writing, espionage via the internet is expanding.”
That made sense. It was a lot less dangerous and far more information could be accessed via electronic databases anyway compared to anything that could be written down.
“This makes our analysts more popular targets than ever before.”
Elle had some experience with that. Was it really only about a month or so ago that actual terrorists had tried to force her to unlock a CIA-issued computer to access her thesis to see what the CIA knew? It felt like a different lifetime, although she would think it would also show the CIA that she was a good candidate for them. Whatever.
Preston, Jack and Henry had all kept telling her that her contact with the terrorists was unusual for an analyst, so maybe that’s why it seemed irrelevant now. It wasn’t like terrorists could break into Langley, right?
“One strategy we’re adopting to protect some of our most valued analysts,” Mason went on, “is to place them outside of the agency.”
He paused again, and again Elle decided her best course of action was to keep her mouth shut. He would explain what he meant.
“We will place you nearby but outside of headquarters. For anyone who asks, you work for the Library of Congress. A key part of your work with the Library of Congress is to work with institutions of higher education throughout Virginia.”
“Library of Congress and institutions of higher education throughout Virginia,” Elle repeated. What the hell did that mean?
“You’ll work mostly out of Charlottesville and Norfolk, but you’ll also have an office in Williamsburg. You’ll have direct supervisors who don’t know you work for the Agency and can give you some tasks, but they’ll be told that your primary responsibility is to help keep the libraries technologically advanced as well as to act as a liaison between them and the Library of Congress to procure research documents and whatever else may be needed.”
Elle blinked.
Mason continued talking. “You’ll have an office at the Library of Congress for when you need to be up here. You will have clearance to come to headquarters, but you should never drive your car or any vehicle registered to you onto the grounds. If you need to come here, either we’ll send a car for you or you can use an agency account to rent a car to get here. That will not be frequent.”
“So I’m working for the Library of Congress and Virginia university libraries.” She felt numb; it was like her brain just wasn’t processing this.
“You work for the Central Intelligence Agency,” Mason corrected her. “Your cover is that you work for the Library of Congress and the Virginia university libraries.”
“My cover.” Still wasn’t computing.
“By having offices in multiple places, no one will think it’s odd if you are somewhere else. Being near Langley, in DC, won’t seem unusual, since you work for the Library of Congress. I will meet with you to discuss your projects for the agency. You’ll be hired for a ninety day probationary period, and as long as everything works out, your association with the agency will become permanent.”
Elle felt like she needed another large cup of coffee to get her brain in gear. “So I’m in,” she said. On one hand, she felt silly asking, but everything had been so unexpected over the past couple of days, she needed clarification.
“Working for the Central Intelligence Agency means you’re in. I just need you to sign this paperwork, saying that you’ve understood everything I’ve told you, and we can begin your employmen
t paperwork.”
She practically snatched the pen out of his hand as soon as he held it out and signed. She was in!
“I’ll escort you down to Human Resources.”
Elle couldn’t stop a grin from practically splitting her face. “I’m in- thank you!” She wanted to hug him but figured that would not be a good idea, so she simply stood up, trying not to actually bounce on her toes like she used to do when she was a little girl. “I- I just didn’t know what to expect after yesterday.” As Mason stood, she added, “Oh, you don’t have to walk me down to Human Resources- I can find my way.”
“You have to be escorted at all times while in the building until you’re processed through HR,” Mason said as he strode around his desk and headed for the door.
Oh. Well, that was a minor detail. She was in!
Chapter Five
“Hi roomie!” Elle couldn’t help but beam into the web camera as soon as Marni’s face appeared on the screen.
“Roomie?” Marni repeated.
She and Elle had planned to be roommates when they both went to grad school in Virginia. When Elle had decided not to go to grad school, those plans were nixed because she didn’t expect to live in Charlottesville. Now, however, she had to get apartments in Norfolk and Charlottesville, since she would be spending most of her time in one of those cities, as well as one in DC for Library of Congress business.
“For my position at the Library of Congress, I’ll be working with the Virginia university library system. I have to get places in Charlottesville and Norfolk.” Elle hated lying to Marni, but this was her “cover.” Mason had made it very clear: she could not tell her friends and family she worked for the agency.
“Oh my God!” Marni screamed. “Roomie!”
Elle could hear Tina’s exclamations in the background and laughed. “I’m going apartment hunting in Norfolk first, but once I start looking in Charlottesville, I’ll send you pics.” Marni and Tina would be abroad until August, so apartment hunting would be up to her.
“Find a complex with a pool!” Marni insisted. “We’re in the south: I want to enjoy the warm weather.” All three of them had grown up in the chilly Midwest and gone to school there.
“Will do,” Elle promised.
“And see if any of the complexes have a workout room. And a tanning bed: I heard that’s a popular feature, we have to have tans in the south-”
“Do you want to email me a list?” Elle asked with a laugh.
“Really!” Tina cried out in the background.
“Yeah, I’ll do that,” Marni said, unfazed. Elle could see her picking up a pad of paper and pen. “Those apartments in Ann Arbor were just, well, apartments. We’re not college students anymore: we need places with amenities.”
***
“So you’re a covert analyst!” Preston came in bearing a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine, but he put them down to lift Elle up in the air for a twirl.
Elle laughed, holding tight, although she knew he wouldn’t let her fall. “Covert analyst- that’s me.” She hadn’t thought of herself as a “covert” analyst, but she guessed she was. Mason said she would work with others besides him in the agency as necessary, but otherwise, she would not be known by the staff based at Langley.
“Obviously Jack Williamson and Henry Smith know you work here,” he had told her earlier that day as they reviewed her paperwork, “and Preston Raddick.” She thought his eyes flicked up to study her face for a moment when he said Preston’s name, but she wasn’t certain. “However, we want as few people to know about your association with us as possible.”
Elle wondered if he knew she was dating Preston. He probably did: they had spent nights together at his hotel room while under FBI surveillance, so it wasn’t a great leap to make that assumption. Preston had assured her the surveillance didn’t involve anything like cameras in the hotel rooms. He knew what he was talking about, right? She wouldn’t discuss it with Mason, however. Preston had told her he wasn’t involved in hiring decisions, and her relationship with him had no bearing on her work, so it was none of Mason’s business. Mason hadn’t pressed the issue, either: he simply moved on with the rest of her forms.
Preston’s congratulatory kiss had her forgetting Mason altogether. “So you’ll be based at the Library of Congress?”
“Actually, I’ll spend most of my time in Norfolk and Charlottesville.”
“Hmmm…” Preston looked thoughtful. “Norfolk is close to Hampton Roads…”
“What’s in Hampton Roads?”
“There’s a naval base there. It’s where the East Coast Navy SEAL teams are based, so they bring in intel there.”
She was going to work with the Navy SEALs?
“Charlottesville is out in the middle of nowhere, but it’s only a little over two and a half hours from Langley, compared to four hours from Norfolk, so you’re closer but still pretty far off the beaten path.”
So there was a method to the madness after all.
“I’m supposed to go apartment hunting in Norfolk tomorrow. Want to join me?”
“I’d love to, but I’m going to be leaving for a new op tomorrow.” He kissed her again as she frowned. “If I didn’t have to-”
“I know,” Elle interrupted him, kissing him back. “It’s your job.” Preston had made it clear that in his line of work, long-term relationships were difficult. She had known this was a fling going in and didn’t want to turn clingy now.
Preston looked relieved as he gave her a squeeze. “But tonight, we celebrate.”
Elle kissed him again. Just being with him was a celebration. “Want to order some room service?” Mason had given her a program to tweak- easy modifications that she was almost done with- but she wanted to finish before driving down to Norfolk tomorrow.
“Room service?” Preston twirled her around again before setting her back down on her feet. “I’ve still got some things to teach you, like how to celebrate. We’re going out.”
“I’d love to-” Elle could already see herself at a swank restaurant with Preston in a suit, “but Mason gave me a project to do. I’m almost done-”
“Then finish it tomorrow. It’s your first job, and it’s with the CIA. You have to make time to celebrate.” He cupped her face in his hands. “Don’t take the big moments for granted.”
Elle guessed she could but… “I want to show Mason I’m committed-”
“And you will. Tomorrow.” Preston captured her lips in a kiss that threatened to rob her of reason. “Put on a nice dress: we’re hitting the town.”
And hit the town they did. Preston took her to an elegant French restaurant for an amazing meal by candlelight before taking her out dancing. She couldn’t dance, but he was able to lead her around the floor. He had her laughing so hard she didn’t care about looking like an idiot in public.
“You really are just like the spies in the movies.” Elle laughed after he made her dizzy from spinning her around. “I bet you can do the tango.”
Preston snapped her up against him. “Let’s go,” he said before leading her across the floor in a tango promenade, forcing her to match his pace as she laughed and tripped over her feet some more. Luckily, he kept her upright, at least.
As they slow-danced later that night, Elle was struck by the realization that this was exactly what she had imagined her “adult life” being: an exciting job and an exciting guy. Dreams really did come true.
***
The next day Elle woke up early with Preston. After he left, she put the finishing touches on her project, emailed it to Mason, and still made the check-out time at the hotel. Time to go to Norfolk. Her mother had given her a car as a graduation present, so transportation wasn’t an issue.
The CIA had issued her a check that she deposited in the bank as soon as she checked-out: she had enough money for about two weeks in a hotel, if necessary, and a security deposit on an apartment in Norfolk. Although the CIA did have some properties down there, Mason wanted her to avoid them. S
o Elle bought a map of Virginia and headed south on I-95.
Langley was located inside the Beltway that surrounded Washington, D.C. All of it had a pretty cosmopolitan feel. After four hours of driving, when Elle reached Norfolk, she realized that she may be in an adjacent state, but this was a very different place.
Norfolk was a coastal city, right off the Atlantic, which likely explained the dampness in the air. In the heat, the dampness felt steamy. It had a small town feel and charm to it. Looking at some of the old buildings, she wondered if this was how Norfolk had looked during the Civil War.
Elle used the internet to search for some apartments within her budget when she stopped for lunch and was able to go see a couple that afternoon after getting into town. She was surprised to hear that a number of them could get her into a unit as soon as next week if she wanted. She couldn’t believe she was going to be in her first apartment- that would be just hers- within a week.
The following Monday- just four days away- Elle had to report to her supervisor in Norfolk. She had plenty to do to keep her busy until then. In just a couple of days, Elle fell in love with an apartment in a building that looked like it was straight out of the colonial era. The apartment itself was a simple one-bedroom.
She was glad her father had given her a generous financial gift for her graduation present: otherwise, she would have had virtually no furniture. Who knew bedroom and dining room sets were over a thousand dollars? Her college apartments had been furnished. She didn’t want to spend all of her money, so she decided to start out with the basics: a bed frame, dresser, a card table with folding chairs (she could upgrade once she got some paychecks saved), and a futon with an innerspring mattress for her couch. That way if she had someone spend the night, they would have a comfortable bed to sleep in. She arranged to have her things delivered after she moved in. It wasn’t quite the chic cosmopolitan loft of her dreams, but it was hers, and it was a great start.
Covert Interview Page 4
