by Skye, S. D.
“Can you call her again?” J.J. said as she glanced at her watch and tapped her heel in an irritating beat against the pristine wood floors. “I can’t believe she’s playing games. Trust me when I tell you, she’s going to have a long day.”
“I’ve called her twelve times already, J.J.” Six was clearly frustrated by her impatience. “Short of beaming her up, I don’t understand what else you expect me to do!”
“All right, you two,” Tony interjected. “Maybe she had an unexpected meeting this morning. Let’s give her a few more minutes before we go fully postal.”
Hawk approached them with a confused look on his face. He eyed the three of them and said, “I haven’t frightened you away, yet?”
“Hawk, fear is a futile emotion and would suggest a level of interest in you that we don’t have.” She flashed a gritty smile then planted her hands on her hips. “Kendel Phillips was supposed to meet us here about thirty minutes ago. And we’re not getting any answer at her desk.”
“Uh, that’s because she’s not in today. Called in sick about an hour ago.”
“Sick?” J.J. shot Tony and Six sideways glances.
“Not well. Yes.”
“Well, would it be possible to speak with Sheldon Vance?” J.J. asked. “He’s our secondary contact when she’s not available.”
He nodded. “Sure, he’s here. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to his office.”
He started up the hall as each of them trailed behind. Their eyebrows crinkled as they passed the stairway they usually took downstairs to Kendel’s office. They crossed a busy hall with a sign marked “Administrative Section.”
“Where the hell’s he takin’ us?” Tony whispered, his teeth clenched. “I thought he worked downstairs.”
Six shrugged.
“Me too,” J.J. said. She felt a little suffocated, as if she was walking in slow motion. She was confused, still trying to understand why Kendel didn’t show up but afraid she already knew the answer.
Five doors down the hall on the left, he stopped at a door with the sign on it that read “Senior Staff.” He twisted the knob and pushed it open, allowing the visitors to enter first. Inside the small room was a reception desk and a closed door leading to a back office, almost identical to the one they’d been borrowing downstairs in the Secret Service section. The guard walked to the inner door and knocked on it.
“Hey Sheldon, you in there? You’ve got company. FBI.”
“Oh oh…okay. Just a second,” he responded. His voice sounded small, feeble, much different than he had the day before. J.J. wondered whether the gorgeous man had caught a cold. It had certainly taken a toll if that was true. Before she had time to center her thoughts, a miniature black man with a receding hairline appeared. He wore Navy slacks, an argyle sweater vest, and a polka-dotted bowtie pinched him at the neck of his dress shirt.
J.J. craned her neck inside the office, still waiting for Sheldon Vance to appear.
“Good m-m-morning,” he stammered. “How, uhhh, how can I help you?” J.J. studied him as his eyes shifted nervously between the three. He appeared jittery, almost scared. J.J. wasn’t sure if his demeanor resulted from the usual intimidation most people experienced upon meeting FBI agents for the first time or something more.
“Who’s this guy?” Tony blurted out, looking at Six and J.J. confused as hell. His face mirrored everyone else’s…except Sheldon’s.
J.J. took note.
“Uhhh,” Six said. “I’m sorry. There must be some understanding. We’re looking for Sheldon Vance.”
His quivering lips turned up at the corners and slowly curled into a slight smile. “Last time I checked, I was Sheldon Vance,” he said. “Been him all my life, at least that’s what my mother told me. See? Says so right here on my identification badge.”
He held up the card while they all hovered around the desk, leaning in to take a closer look.
“Ain’t that a bitch!” Six yelled, unintentionally startling Sheldon. “It wasn’t him!”
J.J. was suspicious at the level of his nervousness. The problem was more than the FBI’s presence. No, he was scared and his fear had nothing to do with the people standing in the office. After some thought J.J. decided to play Sheldon’s game. “Ummm, that can’t be right. Someone else introduced himself to us as you. Why do you suppose a person would go to such lengths?”
Sheldon looked down and his eyes shifted right before he let out a nervous laugh. “Tha—That’s ridiculous. Who would…who would do such a thing?”
“It’s clear you had nothing to do with this misunderstanding,” she continued. “We’ve been grossly misled. Now that we’ve established that you’re Sheldon Vance. The question is, who is the tall dark-haired guy who wears the designer suits? I think he has a circular birthmark thingy on the left side of his neck.”
Sheldon shrugged. “I wish…I’d like to help you. But I can’t. Sorry.”
J.J. pursed her lips together and looked at Six and Tony through skinny eyes. Both appeared puzzled at first and then caught the hint.
“Well, you can’t tell us what you don’t know, right? I totally understand. We’ll be on our way.” J.J. let out a frustrated breath. “But before we go, I’m obligated to inform you that we are conducting a national security investigation. If I can be frank and cut through the bullshit for a second…”
“Sure, you can be frank…as long as I can be Sheldon,” he said with a chuckle and a snort.
J.J. rolled her eyes. “Ha. Ha. Funny. If you think that’s amusing you’re really going to laugh at this,” J.J. began. “If I cross this threshold and later find out you weren’t completely forthright, you’ll be doing your little stand-up routine for five years in Allenwood Federal Prison for every count of obstructing federal investigators I can dream up in my funny little head. And here’s the kicker: I’ll go to my grave ensuring you serve every second of your sentence. Now, isn’t that hilarious, fellas?”
“Hysterical.” Tony deadpanned. “By far, the best joke I’ve heard all week.”
Six just stared at him with a cocky smirk and his head tilted to the side.
“Okay, guys. It’s clear we’re done here. Let’s go,” J.J. said, reaching for the doorknob. She twisted it open, pulled the door, and placed one foot through.
“Wait!” Sheldon leaned forward on the reception desk and rubbed his temple. Deep in thought. “Circular birthma…Ohhhh, the person you’re talking about sounds like…Maddix. Maddix Cooper.”
“Maddix Cooper!” they all said in unison. They spun around to face him.
Sheldon’s forehead creased with worry. “Can you come back inside, please?”
J.J. closed the door as he walked from behind the counter. He lowered his voice in an urgent whisper. “He warned me you’d be coming around asking questions today. Said if I breathed one word he’d kill me.”
“Is ‘at right?”
“You gotta get him, before he comes back for me,” Sheldon begged.
“What do you know about him?” he asked.
“He’s a regular Don Juan. Flashy. Custom-tailored suits. He and Agent Phillips were an item for a while, but I don’t know why they split up. I always wondered how he could afford his lifestyle. I mean I make more than he does,” Sheldon said.
“Anything else?”
“I don’t know why he would claim to be me. Who does that? But he told me if anyone came asking I was to deny knowing anything. As you can see, I’m pretty much in the dark.”
“Trust me, you know enough. You’ve been a big help,” Tony said.
“Could I have a minute to confer with my colleagues?” J.J. asked. “If you could step out of the office for just a second, I’d appreciate it.”
“Son of a bitch!” Six yelled again after the door shut.
“No, this one’s a daughter. And she’s been playing us the entire time. She intentionally led us to believe Maddix was Sheldon.”
“Kendel got a job at the White House first. Maddix followed
her,” Tony said. “She’s dirty. He’s dirtier. It’s that simple.”
“Whatever this case is, it’s not simple,” J.J. said. “If everything between them was so hunky dory then why would she break off the engagement? No, I don’t believe she’s the ringleader, but we can’t discount her involvement. Sadly.”
“So, what’s next?” Six said.
“We gotta find Kendel and Maddix,” Tony said. “How much you wanna bet he didn’t show up for work today either? Bet they’re gettin’ ready to run.”
“You can keep that bet. But, speaking of bets,” she said, turning to Tony. “I want my twenty bucks back! This Sheldon looks exactly like a Sheldon. I think that makes you 0-3.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
“Now, let’s get him back in here.”
Six opened the door and waved him inside. “You’ve been very helpful this morning, Sheldon. Tell me, how can we find out if Maddix Cooper showed up today?”
“Oh, that’s easy. I can just call down to the guard’s desk. He comes in the same entrance every day and everyone here knows him.”
“Great, great. I knew you were the man in the know,” Six said, patting him on the back before resting his hand on his shoulder in a shameless schmooze. “One last thing. If you want us to get to him before he gets to you, we’re going to need Kendel’s and his address. And I mean fast.”
He made the call to the front desk. No Maddix, of course. Then he paced to his computer. After typing his fingers feverishly on the keyboard he said. “She lives in Mitchellville, Maryland. 23145 Brock Court. He’s in Fairfax, Virginia. 980 Swan Lane.”
“Thanks, Sheldon. We’ll be in touch.” J.J. left her business card on the counter. “You call if either one shows up here…or if you need anything.”
He nodded.
They exited the door and paced quickly through the hall.
“Where to first,” Six asked.
“Kendel’s place,” J.J. said. “She broke up with Maddix for a reason. With Six there to push the right buttons, I know she’ll talk.”
Chapter 48
Friday—Irving Street
2 Days Left…
Lana paced in frantic circles consumed in her spiraling thoughts, unnerved by her disintegration into a mass of apprehension and distress. No passport. A week of hiding in plain sight, constantly looking over her shoulder. And an accomplice she was forced to trust, despite her own doubts. The stress had taken its toll.
She couldn’t quiet her mind, no matter how much she drank.
Fucking Kyle Oliver. He still haunted her, the only man unfazed by her charms; the one man able to resist the primal urges that helped Lana dupe her victims into stupefied submission—and he knew it. Her sole failure. How could she know his wife would catch her in the act…and blame him? He swore he’d take her down.
Now running on adrenaline and three hours of sleep, the three shots of Stoli she’d gulped to calm her anxieties left her largely unaffected, except for the sweat beading at her hairline. As Santino’s feet pressed against the steps, her heart began to beat at a more frenetic pace. She dared not attempt to listen to his conversation with her former mentor. He had hearing better than her mother’s schnauzer. One false move and Santino’s lie would be as transparent as freshly Windexed glass…if he kept his word and didn’t tip off Kyle.
She slipped her finger between the venetian blind, tugging down the slat just enough to survey the scene as Kyle and his new sidekick walked back across the street to Max McCall’s house. Santino tapped on the door, startling her out of her panic attack. She sucked in quick relaxation breath as he opened the door and began to speak.
“Well, well, well, that was quite informative,” Santino said. “With the hair and the eyes, I could barely recognize you. Gotta say, though, I prefer the blond.”
“Took you this long to figure out who I was?” Lana said. “I’m disappointed. Gave you more credit.”
“No, trust me, I had my suspicions,” Santino said with a chuckle. “But that’s some big talk from someone with a million dollar bounty on her head.”
She turned head sharply toward him and narrowed her eyes.
“Don’t worry. I ain’t got no love for the Feds, and I’d take two in the head before I rat out my friends.”
“Oh, so we’re friends now?” Lana asked with a tenuous smile.
“You weren’t saying that last night,” Santino said. “Somewhere around midnight, I was big daddy.”
“In your dreams,” Lana said. “So, what did you say to him? Did he ask a lot of questions?”
“Relax. Relax. I took care of it,” Santino said. “I did the last thing he expected me to do.”
“Which was?”
“I cooperated. Told him he should come and take a look at you for himself because I’m not good with faces, once you return in a few days. Told him I’ll call him when you get back.”
She shook her head with approval. “Nice. Do you think he believed you?”
“I’m nothing if not a good liar.”
She pursed her lips. “Mmm, exactly what I’m afraid of,” she mumbled. “Anyway, you about packed up and ready for Sunday?”
“Yeah, except for one concern. Now that the cat’s outta the bag so to speak,” he said. “Uhhh, the hit on Sunday. This broad’s not a fed, is she?”
“What do you care? You don’t have any love for Feds, remember?”
“True. But I do love my life,” he said. “Killing a Fed could bring all kinds of heat on the family if it could be in any way traced to me.”
“It won’t be.”
“The hell it won’t be,” Santino said. “I gave myself away protecting you. Or maybe that’s the way you wanted it.”
“Don’t’ be ridiculous!” Lana said. “Everybody this side of the beltway knows that she and I hate each other with a passion. They won’t suspect you for a second. They’ll assume I did it. It’ll take us five minutes to clean up the residue and your prints. And you can dump the weapon in any one of 100 rivers, lakes, or streams between here and Jersey.”
“Meanwhile, you’ll sipping Martinis in the south of France?”
“First of all, I don’t sip anything. Secondly, I take my vodka in a shot glass,” she said. “And yes, I’ll be in France long enough to get transport Russia. The United States doesn’t have an extradition treaty with France. If they figure out where I’ve gone, I’ll be in Moscow before they can get through the layers of red tape necessary to ask the French to turn me over.”
“You got it all figured out, huh?”
“I’ve had plenty of practice. It was once my job to figure it all out.”
“So what’re you gonna do if…” Santino looked down at the business card they handed him, “Supervisory Special Agent Kyle Oliver returns?”
“You’ll handle that.”
“What if your travel papers aren’t there on Saturday?”
“That’s not an option. If they have to draw them by hand, those papers will be ready on Saturday, or…”
“Or what?”
“You don’t want to know. Neither do I.”
Chapter 49
Friday Evening—Kendel’s House
In the seconds she had to think, J.J. scrolled through her cover email account in the backseat of Six’s Lexus sedan, his grown-up car, wondering why Aleksey hadn’t contacted her. The investigation had been going at such a rapid pace that she hadn’t had time to worry about his well-being to the extent that she should’ve. He was now her only high-level window into the Washington embassy and too valuable of a source to lose. She hadn’t seen him since their unexpected meeting on the Ellipse. The time to panic was upon her. As soon as they wrapped up the Sit Room bug investigation, her first priority was connecting with him and finding out what embassy machinations had kept him out of touch at such a critical time.
“Are we there yet?” J.J. grumbled as she huffed and peered out the window. She noticed they hadn’t yet turned off the beltway. “If my grandmother had car
ried us on her back we’d have been there ten minutes ago…and she’s dead.”
“Hey, don’t make me reach back there snatch you up, young lady,” Six said. After stealing a glance at J.J. in the rearview mirror, J.J. could see Tony’s eyes burning on him. Six faced forward. “I’m not a chauffeur. I’m a spy. Besides, you know how the local cops are in this area.”
“Enough said,” J.J. replied.
After giving Six the stink eye, J.J. turned her attention to the scenery, taking in the string of McMansions with lush green lawns, perfectly manicured landscaping, cinnamon colored brick walkways, and expensive cars checkering the driveways.
“Sheesh,” Tony said. “Maybe we need to jobs in White House Security. How much you think these houses run? Five hundred grand?”
J.J. said, “No, try seven or eight hundred. Couple million in the gated communities. Bunch of ball players live in the area. Redskins. Wizards. Even Sixes.”
Tony turned to his left. “You got a spot out here?”
Six smiled as he turned into a large cul-de-sac. “Profitable investments. What can I say?” he said. “This is her house, the large white one on the left with the black shutters.”
“Nice,” Tony said. “Anybody check out her financials? She wouldn’t be the first to sell out for money.”
Six shook his head. “No, Kendel made a bundle when she sold her first condo which skyrocketed in value. Put down half and banked some. Whatever this is, it isn’t about money.”
J.J.’s telephone vibrated and she glanced at the screen. “Well, if this isn’t some bullshit!” J.J. had had it up to her neck with Aleksey and his disregard for her rules or his own security. She wanted to hear from him, but not this way.
She faced Tony. “The fucking burn phone. I told him to get rid of it, yet here’s the number flashing!” J.J. snapped.
