The Agent's Surrender

by Kimberly Van Meter

  “Holden, stop. You don’t understand the relationship I have with my family. I’m not peppering you with judgment about your dedication to your brother, so don’t give me crap about how I handle my relationship with my kin, okay?”

  “My old man was a drunken prick most days and yours is a control-freak drill sergeant. I’d say we share some similarities in our upbringing. The one difference? I made the choice to put my life first. Somehow you got stuck playing second fiddle to every male in your family, and I think that’s messed up because any father should be proud to have a daughter like you.”

  She startled at the unexpected compliment, but she held to her guns. “My dad needs me. When my mom left us, we all picked up the slack. It’s what you do when your family is threatened—circle the wagons. You did it with your brother, right?”

  “Yeah, I did,” he admitted. “It’s hard for me to watch you sacrifice your happiness on someone else’s authority, though. Doesn’t make sense.”

  “I’m not unhappy.”

  “Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Fallon,” he said with a sad shake of his head. “But if this situation with my brother has taught me anything, it’s that things can change in the blink of an eye and there aren’t take-backs. You get one chance in this life, so don’t throw it away.”

  “I know.”

  “Doesn’t seem like it. You talk a good game. Your actions tell a different story. When are you going to choose your happiness over someone else’s?”

  She scowled. “Are we really having this conversation? We need to get back to the case.”

  “We will. Answer the question.”

  “If you don’t drop it, I’ll break your fingers,” she said sweetly, tucking her gun into the back of her waistband and covering it with her shirt. “Let’s get back to the point of this trip, which was not to rehash the past. Got it?”

  “Fair enough. Still doesn’t get you off the hook. This isn’t finished yet.”

  She barked a short laugh at his statement. “Oh, is that so? We had some good times and now those good times have come to an end. Beautiful, simple and to the point.”

  “Yeah, sure.” He pinned her with an intense look. “Kiss before we leave our little love nest?”

  “Keep dreaming, Casanova. We have a plane to catch.” And then she scooped up her carry-on and sauntered out of the room. Damn, that was harsh and yet so hot.

  “Move your ass, Archangelo,” she called over her shoulder. “Our plane leaves in an hour.” He had no choice but to follow.

  He took one last lingering look around the business hotel room, with its nondescript wallpaper and neutral carpet, but all he saw was the memory of him and Jane, defiling every discernible inch in wicked fashion. “Good times,” he murmured with a sad exhale to be leaving it all behind. He closed the door. Jane was right. Time to get back to work.

  Chapter 14

  They were buckling into the car when Holden’s cell rang. “It’s James,” he said, and answered the call. “Hold on, buddy. You’re going on speaker.” He clicked his smartphone and James’s voice filled the car cab.

  “Sleep is overrated, and I’ve found that when you’re in a hyperaware state, your brain actually becomes more efficient.”

  “That’s not actually accurate,” Jane murmured, shooting Holden a quick look, but he compelled her to keep quiet as James rambled to his point.

  “All right. You’re not going to believe what I dug up about your boy, Miko....”

  “Spit it out,” Holden gritted his teeth. “We’ve got a plane to catch.”

  “Well, you might want to reschedule your flight because I’ve got some information that might interest you.”

  “Why can’t you just tell me now?”

  “Over the phone? Over an unsecure line? What? You think I was born yesterday? I don’t think so. Meet me at Café Orange on Bluebell Street in twenty minutes.”

  Then the line went dead. Holden rolled his eyes. “Great. It’s the Geek Supremacy. This guy is too much.” He looked to Jane. “Can you reschedule our flight for tonight?”

  “Sure. Let’s hope this guy delivers, because he sounds like a fruit loop with an overinflated sense of importance.”

  “Oh, he’s a genius. That about sums it up.”

  “Yes, it does.”

  Holden pocketed his phone while Jane brought up the GPS. Within fifteen minutes, they were walking into the small French café and heading straight for the twitchy man nursing what was likely his third espresso.

  They slid into the seats across from James, and he startled at their appearance. “Hey, I didn’t realize you’d actually make it in twenty minutes.”

  “Fifteen with five to spare. What do you have for us?” Jane said, cutting to the chase.

  “Okay, here’s the deal. I did what you asked and traced the money—that was child’s play—and because you’re friends with Nathan and Jaci, I decided to take it a step further, nose around and see what popped up. I hacked your brother’s email account and found more interesting stuff than where he has money stashed. By the way, your brother had some serious cash flow to be tucking away the amounts he’s got pocketed in Mexico.”

  “How much?” Holden asked.

  “Brace yourself...one hundred Gs. Pow! That’s a lot of margaritas,” James said, cocking his fingers into guns with a grin, but Holden didn’t find any of this funny. James slowly dropped his finger guns and refocused after a shaky drink of his espresso. “Okay, so anyway, yeah, he’s got money in all those places, but Mexico had the biggest cash drop. But that’s not the interesting part. He has a safety deposit box in Washington that I think you’re going to want to open.”

  “What’s in it?”

  “I don’t know, but he references it as his insurance policy, and something tells me he’s not talking about MetLife.”

  Jane and Holden shared looks, then Holden prompted, “What else did you find?”

  “He kept referencing a winery outside of Washington. Mean anything to you?”

  “What?” Holden was confused. “My brother didn’t like wine. He was more of a Jameson guy. Why would he be talking about a winery?”

  “That’s your job to figure out. The winery is owned by a Trevor Granger. The name is Butterfly Bend.” James took a short breath and blew it out. “And that’s all I got. When can I get the wire for the second half of my fee?”

  “You’ll get it when I check out your story,” Holden said, looking to Jane. “Granger...that name is familiar.” He snapped his fingers in quick recognition. “That’s right, Penny Winslow’s maiden name was Granger. Do you believe in coincidences?”

  “Not really,” she answered. “Guess we’re going back to Tessara?”

  “Bet your ass we are.” He stood and looked at James. “Thanks. I’ll be in touch. Oh, and, James, get some sleep. You look like shit.”

  They left the café and booked it back to the car, his mind moving at the speed of light. Why did it always come back to Tessara? “I feel that place is at the epicenter of all bad things,” he said darkly, and Jane nodded. “Why would my brother reference a winery unless there was something behind the curtain to keep watch on?”

  “I’m curious as to what’s in that security box. What do you think it could be?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m starting to lean toward the theory that my brother was on to something and he was trying—in true Miko fashion—to take whoever it was down by himself and got in over his head.”

  Jane nodded slowly and added, “I definitely think there’s something going on, but I don’t want to jump to conclusions.”

  “Of course not,” he said, but his heart was beating like a wild thing in his chest at the possibilities.

  “Should I call Rocha and let him know we’re on our way?”

  “Hell no. Let’s surprise him and see what happens,” Holden said with a short smile. “I’d love to show up with a warrant, but we don’t have enough evidence for that...yet.”

  “By the numbers, Ho
lden,” she warned. “Don’t go all cowboy on me. If Tessara is behind shady deals, we’ll figure it out the legal way. Just be patient.”

  Holden wasn’t in the habit of issuing promises—especially ones he didn’t know if he could keep. He pressed his foot harder on the gas pedal and hurtled down the freeway toward Tessara Pharmaceuticals.

  * * *

  When they walked into the Tessara facility, Selena immediately appeared with a faint question marring her flawless skin, though her hands were clasped in front of her with complete serenity. Jane was pretty sure she wasn’t human and was tempted to check for a pulse. “We’re here to speak with Mr. Rocha.”

  “Mr. Rocha isn’t here,” Selena said with an apologetic smile. “He’s a very busy man. Perhaps you could make an appointment?”

  “Someone else has to be running this operation,” Holden said. “Bring us that person.”

  Selena’s smile faltered and she blinked as she processed the realization that they would plant their feet and wait until someone talked to them. “I see. Come with me,” she instructed, turning to take them back into the conference room with the hidden door. “Please help yourself to snacks and beverages. Everything is organic and fresh.”

  “Ironic given this is a pharmaceutical company, isn’t it?” Jane said to Holden as Selena left the room, gracing them with a sugary sweet smile that oddly made Jane think of a shark. “That woman ain’t right,” she said once they were alone.

  “Agreed. I get a definite serial killer vibe from that chick. I’ve never been so chilled by a pretty smile.”

  “You think she’s pretty?” Jane asked diffidently, shooting for nonchalance. “I mean, not that I care, of course. Just curious.”

  “Um, I sense a trap,” he said, and she snorted. “Hey, I’ve been well schooled in the belief that there are some questions you never answer because it’s a zero-sum game. As in no winner.”

  “Oh, good grief, Holden. It was just a silly question,” she said, miffed that he was right. If he’d answered yes, he thought Selena was pretty, it would’ve eaten at her nerves, which in turn would’ve pissed her off for caring in the first place. If he’d said no, then she would’ve believed him a liar and definitely untrustworthy. “Fine. It was a trap.” She scowled, then deliberately shook off the weird vibe. “Forget I said anything. It was dumb to even ask. I don’t care who you find attractive.”

  Holden’s gaze smoldered, taking her breath away, and if they weren’t on official business, she had no doubt he would’ve shoved her up against the nearest wall to demonstrate just how attractive he found her. “Oh, crap. Don’t look at me like that,” she warned.

  He chuckled. “Mind reading is part of your skill set?” he asked.

  She shot him a cool look. “You don’t have to read minds to know what’d just circulated through your brain. Get it together.”

  The lust slowly cleared from his stare and he shrugged in his jacket, adjusting himself with admirable efficiency just in time for Ulysses Rocha to walk in. “Agents. What a pleasant surprise,” he said.

  “Back so soon?” Jane asked pointedly. Ulysses smiled in apology.

  “Selena tries to protect my schedule. She’s a good assistant. However, the minute she told me my unexpected visitors were Agents Archangelo and Fallon, I made time. What can I do for you?”

  “What relation is Penelope Granger, aka Penny Winslow, to Trevor Granger?” Jane got straight to the point.

  Ulysses frowned. “A cousin, I believe, if memory serves. Why?”

  Neither she nor Holden answered; instead, she pushed on to their next question. “Penny Winslow was involved in a number of projects here, most notably the Game Changer, which was the nickname for MCX-209.”

  “Yes,” Ulysses confirmed with a shrug. “Penny liked to be involved in a number of high-profile projects. Unfortunately, ultimately, MCX-209 was a failure, as I’m sure you are already aware.”

  “I’m aware it failed as a cure for Alzheimer’s,” Holden said. “But something tells me Penny knew it would be because she was a brilliant scientist beneath that socialite veneer.” Ulysses remained silent. “Nothing?”

  “It wasn’t my project. I have little working knowledge of the trials.” Ulysses clasped his hands in front of him.

  “Then perhaps we can speak with Dr. Odgers’s direct supervisor?” Jane prompted.

  “Tragically, her supervisor was killed in a freak accident. We were all very saddened by his death. Hector Olonzo was a valuable member of the Tessara family.”

  “He’s dead?” she questioned, finding that way too convenient. Alarm bells clanged loudly in her head. “What kind of freak accident?”

  “It was all very tragic. A mugging gone wrong. The man panicked and shot poor Hector as he was leaving his favorite restaurant on Laurel Avenue. Left him dead in the street. Fortunately, from what I understand, Hector, God rest his soul, didn’t suffer. Died instantly.”

  And dead men tell no tales. She shared a look with Holden. “We’d like to take a look at the project files associated with MCX-209,” Holden said.

  “Again, sorry to disappoint, but due to the sensitive nature of the drug, the Defense Intelligence Department felt it prudent to remove all traces of the drug trials and research from the facility.”

  Jane nodded remembering something to that effect from Dr. Kat Odgers, Jake Isaac’s wife. They could enlist her help to find the missing research. “Penny Winslow’s influence on any project, given the discovery that she was abusing her authority, is immediately suspect,” he told Ulysses. “Were you aware of Penny’s extracurricular activities outside of this lab?”

  “I’m not sure what you’re asking,” he said calmly.

  “I don’t believe I need to spell it out,” Holden said. “You’re a smart man.”

  “I was unaware of Penny’s involvement with I.D.,” Ulysses answered, short and sweet and giving away nothing.

  Jane glanced at Holden, signaling they were done. The secrets in this building could fill a space station. Whatever Ulysses was protecting, he wouldn’t share without a court order to compel him.

  “We’ll be in touch,” she said.

  “Good luck in your investigation. As always, Tessara strives to be accommodating.”

  Did he mean that? Likely not. They were probably having a shredding party this very second, if they hadn’t already.

  After they left the building and headed to their car, Holden said, “Well, that wasn’t entirely a bust. Do you think Hector was killed and it was framed as a tragic mishap?”

  “My instincts say yes,” Jane said, climbing into the car. She checked her watch. “We’d better hustle if we want to catch our rescheduled flight. I’m ready to put California in my rearview mirror.”

  * * *

  Holden agreed. They’d learned everything they were going to learn in this place. Besides, more answers awaited them back in Washington when they hit up Kat Odgers for information on MCX-209.

  Once on the plane, buckled in and ready for take-off, Holden asked Jane, “What do you think that winery has to do with all of this? Seemed kind of random.”

  She nodded. “Maybe we ought to pay a visit and see what shakes out?”

  “Definitely. Put it on the list.”

  “What vibe are you getting from Rocha?” Jane asked.

  “Not sure. He’s definitely not happy that we’re poking around, but I can’t tell if it’s because he’s protecting his investments or because he truly has stuff to hide.”

  “Same. He hasn’t been overtly helpful. Then again, he hasn’t refused anything we’ve asked for, either. He could’ve made it more difficult to procure those personnel files, but he handed them over with minimal fuss.”

  “He’s pretty tight-lipped about what he knew about Penny’s exploits, though. Something tells me he’s not quite as innocent as he wants us to think he is.”

  “Maybe.”

  A beat of silence followed before Holden said, “Watching you in action is pretty hot
.”

  She sucked in a quick breath and shot him a warning look. “Stop that. We can’t be talking like that once we get back to Washington.”

  “I know,” he said, withdrawing with slightly ruffled feathers. Did she have to be so rigid all the time? “I was just saying...I don’t know, I read somewhere that women like to hear that stuff.”

  “Well, I’m not like most women.”

  Amen to that. It was one of the reasons he couldn’t stop thinking about her. “Roger that,” he said, deliberately closing his eyes. “I’m going to catch a few Zs. Some wildcat kept me up all night.” He smiled to himself when he heard her gasp in embarrassed indignation. That’s right, babe. Good luck shelving that experience. He’d liked knowing how to push her buttons before, but now? He knew all the right buttons to push to make her squirm—and that was information worth dying for.

  Chapter 15

  It was late by the time they flew into Washington, and, stubborn woman that she was, Jane insisted on driving home instead of crashing at his place. He tried not to be annoyed because he had no right to be, but when he woke the next morning he was less than refreshed. He’d reopened Pandora’s Box and he wanted more. In the brief time they’d dated, he’d enjoyed going to sleep and waking up with Jane, which had been something of a change of pace for him because he never invited women to his apartment. Now he was missing the feel of her warm body next to his, and there was nothing he could do about it. She was determined to be bullheaded. A knock at his front door made him realize not only had he lost out on good REM, he’d overslept, too. He opened the front door and let Jane in with a mumbled good morning in between a big yawn.

  “You look like hell,” she observed, going to the coffeepot to pour herself a cup. “Still jet-lagged?”

  If he looked jet-lagged, she was the exact opposite—she looked as fresh as a daisy. Of course, that rubbed him wrong, too. Why wasn’t she suffering like he was? “I’m fine. There’s nothing like having the whole bed to yourself.”