“So… he pushed my buttons. And I lost it on him. I threatened him with my brand-new ‘relationship’ with Parr so he didn’t press charges, but…” I sank my head into my hands. “I made an enemy. Stupid.” I braced for an abusive tirade.
“Well, it wasn’t like he was your best bud before,” Dermott said reasonably. “Did you make contact with Kane at the party?”
Surprise slowed the shifting of my mental gears. “Oh. Uh, yeah, I talked to him for a few seconds. We think Harchman’s new wife is probably another plant from Fuzzy Bunny to keep him in line and maintain the operations they had piggybacked onto his business dealings before.” I groped for a way to cover for Kane in case he didn’t report in as scheduled. “Um, Kane met somebody he knew at the party. I think he’s pursuing a lead there.” Pursuing something, anyway.
“Okay.” Dermott nodded and rose, extending his hand. “Good to meet you, Kelly. I like people who don’t take any bullshit.”
I shook his hand, noticing thankfully that he didn’t crush my sore knuckles. “Um. Thanks.”
“See you tomorrow,” he said, and I nodded and dragged myself out.
Chapter 34
Home at last, I pulled off my boots and parka before sleepwalking directly through the house to do a fully-clothed nosedive into bed.
The complaints of my empty stomach woke me around noon and I staggered into the shower, eyes half-closed. After dressing and dragging myself to the kitchen for a late lunch of leftovers, I managed to get both eyes fully open, and my brain activity increased enough for me to realize the message light was blinking on my phone.
Yawning, I trailed over to punch the button. The first voice was Lola’s, responding to my message about my friend in the hospital and hoping everything was okay.
The next message was from Spider, and I silently berated myself when he said he hoped my friend was okay, too. Shit, I should have called him. I blew out a breath. At least now I could give him good news and save him some worry.
I checked in with Lola first and then dialled Spider’s number, my guilt and worry returning. Dammit, he was counting on me to help him figure out what to do about his moral dilemma over controlling Tammy. And it was Sunday already.
When he answered, I blurted, “Spider, I’m so sorry I didn’t call you…”
“It’s okay,” he said hurriedly. “Lola said you were at the hospital with a friend. Is everything…” He hesitated. “How did it turn out?”
I rubbed my forehead, trying to press away the guilt. “Um, actually, I owe you an apology for that, too. It was Arnie…” I spoke rapidly over his indrawn breath. “…but he’s okay now.”
“Oh, thank God.” His voice trembled with relief. “What happened?”
I explained in general terms about the fight before returning to my second apology. “…and I’m sorry, but I completely forgot to think about your situation at Sirius-”
“It’s okay,” he interrupted. “I didn’t expect you to, and anyway, I’ve made a decision.”
“Um… what did you decide?” I squeezed my eyes shut in a mixture of worry over the firm resolve in his voice and relief that it wouldn’t be my responsibility.
“I’m just going to tell the truth.” I imagined his raised chin and clear hazel eyes. “I can’t morally do what they’re asking me to do. That’s all there is to it.”
“Oh…” I drew a deep breath. “Well, I’m glad you’ve come to a decision you feel comfortable with.”
“I have.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “Thanks to you.”
“Me?” My voice was distinctly squeaky.
“Yes. You always do what you think is right, even when it could cost your life. Surely I can be brave enough to tell the truth to my employer.”
“Oh…” My throat closed up, and I cleared it and swallowed hard. “Um… thanks, but…”
“No, thank you. You helped me do the right thing. See you tomorrow.”
“Uh. Yeah… ‘Bye…” I hung up the phone and thudded my forehead vigorously with the heel of my hand. “Shit, shit, shit!”
The next morning I arrived at Sirius early and puttered anxiously in the lunchroom, brewing myself an unnecessary cup of tea before trailing down the hall to my office. I was perched on my small sofa when Germain arrived and sank into the opposite chair.
“’Morning, Aydan.” He gave me his usual cheerful smile.
“Good morning. Have you seen Spider?”
“Not yet. Have you seen Kane?”
“No, not yet.” I sipped my tea, trying to swallow my worry. “He was working on a lead on the weekend. Maybe he’s not back yet.”
Kane was the most dedicated agent I knew. He may have just rediscovered the love of his life, but it was hard to believe he’d skip work. Remembering the lovestruck look on his face at the party, it seemed possible. But still…
The worry escaped despite my best efforts. “I hope he’s okay.”
Germain and I exchanged a strained glance.
Unable to sit still any longer, I popped to my feet. “I’m just going to try Spider’s extension and see if he’s heard anything.”
The phone rang only once before going to voicemail, and I hung up and flopped back onto the couch. “No answer.”
We sat in awkward silence for a moment, and I seized on the first topic of conversation that came to mind. “So how was the self-defence workshop?”
“It was fun.” He relaxed into a smile. “After the ladies got over their disappointment that Kane wasn’t coming back.”
I grinned. “I’m sure it didn’t take them long.”
He accepted the compliment with a smile. “It was good to have something to do over the weekend. The Silverside Hotel isn’t exactly my resort destination of choice.”
“No kidding-”
I broke off when Dermott stuck his head in the open doorway, shooting a frown at us. “What are you waiting for? Get to work.”
“We need Kane and Spider,” I said. Nerves twitched in my belly. “I haven’t seen Kane, and Spider hasn’t brought my network key up yet. Have you seen him?”
Dermott’s frown deepened. “Kane won’t be in this week, and Webb doesn’t work here anymore. We should have a replacement for him by the end of the week. Go get the key yourself.” He turned and strode away.
“But… wait!” I sprang up to hurry after him. “What do you mean, he doesn’t work here? Where did he go?”
Dermott whirled, scowling. “What the fuck do you think I mean, Kelly? He doesn’t fucking work here, and I don’t give a shit where he goes. Now get to work! Get caught up on those decryptions and find out everything you can to get ready for your trip with Parr.” He strode away and closed himself into Stemp’s office with a slam while I stood gaping in the hallway, my heart sinking into my boots.
After a moment I turned to face Germain, who was propped against my doorframe looking as shocked as I felt. Guilt and fear struck me like a physical blow. “Shit, Carl, what are we going to do?”
He blinked and straightened. “Get to work, I guess. I’ll take over for Kane in the network, and we’ll have to figure out some way to do it without Webb…”
“But we need him!” I stood feeling as though I should be locked in combat with some unknown adversary. I made a pointless gesture with my uselessly dangling arms. “We can’t do this without him. He knows everything!”
Fear rose in my throat, and I clenched my hands together. “He gets me out of the network when I’m lost. He pulls together the data I find and makes it all make sense. He’s…”
I swallowed hard, and Germain made a calm-down gesture. “Steady, Aydan. We’ll figure it out.”
My throat tightened even more. “It’s my fault,” I whispered.
He shot a quick glance up and down the corridor. “Let’s go for a walk.”
Out on the sidewalk, Germain turned to study me, frowning. “What do you mean, it’s your fault?”
“Spider didn’t want to control Tammy without her knowledge
. He talked to me about it and I promised to help him figure it out, but then I was at the hospital with Arnie-”
“How is he?” Germain interrupted.
“Better. He’s home, and I think he’ll be okay. Thank God.”
Germain nodded, the tension easing from his face. “Good. But I don’t see how Webb leaving is your fault.”
“When I talked to him yesterday he said he’d decided to refuse on moral grounds.” I scrubbed my hands over my face. “He said he wanted to be brave. Shit, Carl, I should have figured out some way around it! I should have talked him out of it, or, or… something…”
“Webb is an adult and he has to make his own choices,” Germain said firmly. “And what if you did manage to talk him out of it? How would you feel if you convinced him to compromise his principles?”
I groaned. “Shitty.”
He gave me a quick one-armed hug. “You can’t protect everybody, Aydan. Sometimes there’s just no win-win. It’s not your fault. Come on, let’s get back to work.”
That didn’t really help, but it wasn’t like I had a choice. I sighed and we trudged back to Sirius.
In the lobby, I collected my security fob again and squared my shoulders to approach the heavy door to the secured area.
“Do you want me to get the network key for you?” Germain asked. “I don’t mind the man trap.”
The word ‘trap’ sent a chill down my spine. I drew a deep breath. “No, that’s okay. I can manage.”
“I know you can.” His voice was gentle. “But do you really want to?”
I let out my breath. “No, but…”
“Then I’ll get it for you.”
I gave him a grateful smile. “Thanks, Carl.”
He disappeared into the time-delay chamber, and I sank into one of the lobby chairs, my mind whirling with guilt and fear at the loss of both a brilliant colleague and one of the only friends I had at Sirius. How could I go on without Spider?
I was still staring into space and suppressing panic when Germain emerged from the secured area in animated conversation with Jack. Germain shot me a grin. “Jack’s going to sit in for a while today. I thought she might be able to help.”
Relief eased my shoulders as I rose to follow them to the stairs. “Good idea. Thanks, Jack.”
“I’m happy to help if I can,” she replied with a smile, but the smile was mostly directed at Germain and soft roses glowed in her cheeks.
My answering smile came easily, my heart warming at the way their heads tilted toward each other when they resumed their conversation.
It was a long morning full of false starts and slow progress, but by noon we had evolved a workable system. Kane’s and Spider’s absence left an aching void, and I concentrated fiercely on the decryptions that had piled up again over the past several days.
When noon rolled around I stepped out of the network to clutch my pounding skull, clenching my teeth to capture the worst of the obscenities before they emerged. No firm hands eased my pain, and I severely forbade myself to whimper in self-pity.
Everything was as it should be. Kane had found his love at last, and he deserved a week off to celebrate, followed by years of happiness.
I hunched lower on the couch at the realization that his new lady-love probably wouldn’t want him massaging my temples. But he probably wouldn’t want to anyway. He might even quit the service to have the family I suspected he secretly wanted.
A groan escaped me.
“Aydan, are you okay?” Jack’s concerned voice made me straighten into an imitation of normalcy.
“Fine. Thanks.”
“Let’s go grab some lunch.” Germain spoke to Jack before turning to me. “Do you want to join us?”
“No, thanks.” I rose. “I’m going to drop by Spider’s place and see, um… how he is.”
“Give him our best wishes,” Jack urged. “I hope he’ll be happy in his new job.”
I stared. “He has a new job?”
“Oh, I don’t know…” Jack looked flustered. “I was told he’d left, so I assumed he had gone to another position.”
“Oh.” I summoned up a smile. “Well, I guess I’ll find out. See you later.”
At Spider’s house, I hesitated before knocking at the door. There was no answer, and I shivered when the cold wind swirled around to drop a powdering of fine snow down my collar. I tried the doorbell, hearing its lonely ghost of sound through the door.
I waited again before turning away with a sigh. Maybe he had gotten another job. Maybe he was happily set up in another office somewhere…
Shit.
I knew where he was.
I retraced my steps to the car and steered it in the direction of the small converted house that served as the office for Spider’s cover business.
His lime-green Smart car was parked in front and the house lights glowed warmly through the snowy landscape when I pulled up in front.
Was that good or bad?
I hauled myself out of the car and up the sidewalk before I could worry anymore.
When I tapped on the outer door and poked my head inside, Spider looked up from his computer, his eyes reddened in a haggard face. “Hi, Aydan,” he mumbled.
I hurriedly shed my boots and jacket, dread rising in my heart. “Spider, what happened?”
“I got fired.”
Chapter 35
“What?” I stood frozen in the vestibule, staring. “I thought… I mean… Dermott said you didn’t work at Sirius anymore, so I just assumed you’d quit…”
“No.” He sank his head into his hands and spoke to the desk. “I went in this morning to tell Stemp I wouldn’t control Tammy without her knowledge, but Dermott was there instead. When I told him, he… he said some nasty things about being a diva and fired me on the spot. He said they’d clean out my desk and send my things over here this morning.”
“Oh, Spider, I’m sorry!” I hurried across the room to hug him. “I forgot you were away on Friday. I should have told you Stemp was gone this week.”
“It’s not your fault,” he muttered. “I should have known this would happen.” He straightened. “And anyway, it’s still the right thing to do. But Aydan…” He looked up with fear in his eyes. “I don’t have a job now. Less than a week before Christmas. I haven’t finished paying for Linda’s ring yet. And I was keeping it in the secured area at Sirius so she wouldn’t find it. What if they don’t give it back?”
“You’ll get it, Spider, don’t worry,” I comforted. “And if it doesn’t come with your things for some reason, I’ll get it for you…”
A thump from the outer door interrupted me, and Spider shot to his feet. “That must be the delivery.”
When he flung open the door, the delivery man was just arriving with a second box. He dropped it on top of the first and thrust a clipboard at Spider. “Sign here.”
When Spider signed and handed back the clipboard, the man turned and strode down the sidewalk to his van without another word.
“Charming,” I muttered. “Here, I’ll give you a hand.”
We manoeuvred the boxes into the house, and Spider fell to his knees and ripped them open to ransack their contents. I watched anxiously until his shoulders sagged with relief.
“Ah.” He sank back on his haunches, lifting a small velvet box to peep inside. “Thank God.”
The tension returned to his face as he looked up again. “But I still have to pay for it. And I don’t know where to hide it. I can’t take it home; Linda’s such a neat freak she’d find it when she was tidying up. And I don’t dare leave it here.”
“Why don’t you put it in the b-” I stopped myself, but Spider’s face twisted as he caught my meaning.
“I don’t have access to the bunker anymore. In fact, I’ll probably get kicked out of this office, too, so they can put somebody else in place above it. Maybe they’ll offer it to you. Your bookkeeping cover would work here.”
I clutched a double handful of my hair in renewed chagrin. “How
could he just fire you? With everything you know, and all you do for them? What a fucking moron! We’ll fix it, Spider. I’ll talk to him…”
“No.” His lips trembled, but his voice was firm. “I won’t compromise on this, and I won’t go crawling back to him. He’s a… an asshole!” He flushed scarlet as he pronounced the unaccustomed epithet, but he met my eyes with defiance.
I sighed. “How can I help?”
He answered so promptly I suspected he had given it considerable thought already. “Could you please keep Linda’s ring for me until Saturday? I was going to give it to her at the Christmas Eve party.”
“Sure, I can-”
“But I need you to carry it with you all the time,” he interrupted.
“Um… do you really think that’s a good idea? I can just put it in a safe place at home…”
“No.” Spider gave me an imploring look. “I’m totally freaked out about this. I know you’ll take good care of it. You have a gun and everything.”
I determinedly squelched the twitch of my lips. “An armed guard probably isn’t necessary…” He opened the box and turned it toward me, and my jaw dropped. “Holy shit! Okay, maybe an armed guard would be a good idea.” I stared at the glittering blue-white solitaire. “Holy shit, Spider, that sucker’s enormous!”
He eyed me anxiously. “Is it too much? They say you’re supposed to spend three months’ pay on an engagement ring. I make…” He flushed. “…made pretty good money. And she’s worth every penny!” His face fell. “But what if… I mean… now that I don’t have a job… what if she…”
I gave him a quick squeeze. “She loves you. She wouldn’t care if you were dead broke. And she’ll love the ring. She’d love any ring you gave her, even if it was just a cheap little diamond chip. Trust me.” I tightened my arm around his shoulders. “And you’ll be working again in no time. A guy with your qualifications? You’ll have to fight off job offers with a stick.”
“But not here in Silverside. It’s just a small town.” His troubled gaze lingered on the sparkling ring. “And I just got my house rebuilt, and all my family is here, and Linda’s family is here, and Linda’s job is here…”
Spy, Spy Away Page 27
