Enemy Exposure

by Meghan Rogers

  “Hey, Sam,” Travis said, his eyes glued to the screen. “Can you pull all the photos up?”

  “Yeah, sure.” He typed quickly, and a few seconds later the monitor was full of KATO agents.

  I scanned each image, my throat constricting as I realized what Travis had picked up on. “Almost none of them are Korean.”

  “How common is this?” Travis asked. “Because aside from you, there are maybe one or two other KATO agents that the IDA knows of who came from another country.”

  “Nearly everyone I trained with at headquarters was Korean,” I said. “I assumed it was the same across the agency.” I pressed my hand to my forehead, annoyed that I had never considered the possibility. “I’ve heard some of these names before. I never thought they’d be anything other than Korean.”

  “We need to sort through these files,” Travis said, taking a step back. “Sam, thank you. This is huge. Joss and I can take it from here.”

  “Are you sure?” Sam wilted slightly.

  Travis nodded. “It’s up to us to figure out how this all adds up.”

  “All right.” Sam picked up his backpack, making no effort to hide his disappointment. “Let me know if you guys need anything else.”

  I waited to speak until it was just the two of us. “Do you have a plan?”

  “I think we need to focus on the demographic information,” Travis said. “You work on figuring out what those words are code for, and I’ll go through and work on how the differences fit together. We can take inventory of the photos as we go. Hopefully, we’ll find something that explains all of this.”

  We set to work. I went from one file to another. No two files had the same coded word, but several of them looked familiar. We were about an hour in when Travis broke my concentration.

  “Joss.” There was an edge to Travis’s voice that made me nervous, and when I turned I saw I had a reason to be.

  My picture was on his screen. It gave me chills to look at. My hair was down, curling every which way, completely out of control. The part that unsettled me the most was my eyes. They looked so—dead. I knew when this picture was taken. They were updated every year. This one was a couple weeks after I had shot Travis. It was right before I seriously started looking for a way out of KATO. When I was still trying to figure out if I had managed to get away with leaving Travis alive.

  “Take it down,” I said. “I’ll go over it myself first.”

  “Jocelyn.” His voice was soft and kind, and I couldn’t stand to face him. “It’s me.”

  “I know that.” My tone was sharp. I couldn’t do this today. Not after this morning with Eliza. “I’m asking you to take it down.” I looked at him now, hoping that he understood. But he didn’t. He seemed confused and almost hurt.

  “But—”

  “It’s not about who you are. It’s about what that is.” I closed my eyes for a moment to steady myself. “I want to know what’s in there first. And I’ve had enough sharing for today anyway.”

  The comprehension finally spread through his face. “All right. I get it.”

  “Thank you.”

  He nodded, and turned back to his computer. “You said Centipede was almost as good as you, right?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “Why?”

  “Most of these agents are foreign, but a handful are Korean,” he said. “If she was that good, why wouldn’t she be one of them?”

  I shrugged. “I’d imagine KATO still has other operations going on. If they sent me here, they’d need someone to replace me as their top retrieval specialist.” And then I understood everything. KATO sent me here.

  Travis tilted his head, reading me. “What is it?”

  I stared at him, wide-eyed. “Pull my file back up.”

  “What?” His eyebrows knitted together, confused. “But I thought you said—”

  “I know what I said.” I rolled my chair over to him. “Pull it back up.”

  Judging from the look he was giving me, he thought I was insane. Still, he did what I asked. I found the last demographic box. It was what I expected. I pointed at the last word. “That’s KATO’s upper-level agency code for the IDA. That box means that they were sending me here.”

  Realization dawned on his face, and I could see he was following me.

  My heart raced with a mixture of excitement and horror. “I’m not the only agent they had planted in an enemy agency.”

  “That’s why each of these girls is a different nationality,” Travis said.

  I nodded. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve been kidnapping girls for years with this in mind. It’s probably the reason they have different safe houses. They wanted to keep all of us as separate as possible. That way we wouldn’t know the whole plan.”

  “How did the IDA miss this?” Travis asked.

  I shrugged. “It’s a big world, and the IDA is the only agency that has such a wide international interest.”

  Travis closed his eyes for a beat, seeing what I was getting at. “So we were the main concern. KATO made sure to keep their foreign agents away from us.”

  “My guess is the only foreign agents you saw were the ones who were too good not to put up against you,” I said. “Which was also most likely the only reason you and I squared off so much.”

  Travis raked his fingers over his scalp. “So why is Eliza in this group, then?”

  I tilted my head. “My best guess is that she was being prepped for England when they changed their minds for some reason. That’s also probably when she was moved to the Russian house.”

  The more I talked, the darker Travis’s face got. “We need to get all of this to Simmonds.”

  I was already halfway to the door.

  Chapter Nine

  EXPOSING DETAILS

  My dad was leaving Simmonds’s office when Travis and I got there. He looked annoyed but not angry, and I couldn’t help but wonder what he and Simmonds had been talking about. He blinked when he saw me. I hadn’t spoken to him since I asked him not to monitor my talk with Eliza.

  “Jocelyn.” He seemed a little unsure of me now, but nowhere near the uncertainty he’d had when we first met. He glanced between Travis and me. “Is everything okay?”

  “We figured something out,” I said. “You should stay.”

  His eyes lifted, and he stepped aside to let us in.

  Travis and I moved toward Simmonds, with my dad a few paces behind us. “We worked out how the KATO files Sam pulled are connected,” I said.

  We caught them up on our latest discovery, including the varying nationalities of the agents in question. By the time we were finished, they were wearing identical grave expressions.

  “How do you think they got inside these agencies?” my dad asked. He had migrated to his spot next to Simmonds’s desk. “I reached out to our cooperating countries when you were taken. No one had any similar instances, and as far as I know, that’s still the case.” He looked to Simmonds. “Has anything changed?”

  “No,” Simmonds said. “And someone would have contacted us if it had. They would have wanted to establish a pattern.”

  My dad turned back to me. “None of these other agents had the connections you do.”

  “They were probably kidnapped for different reasons, like Eliza, or sold to KATO. Regardless, I’m positive KATO made sure their disappearances were well covered.” I passed a flashdrive off to Simmonds with everything we’d been able to work out. “I would bet they got into other respective agencies the old-fashioned way: by building a history and a profile that would make them look like the ideal recruit. Then the agent would apply and enter through the traditional recruiting process.” I ran a hand over my hair. “That’s why we didn’t think of it. Because the way they pushed me into the IDA was so unusual. They used my background in a way they can’t do with anyone else.”

  “I’ll co
ntact our allies,” Simmonds said. “We may not know the names they’re using, but we have their pictures.”

  I nodded in agreement, but a part of me hated the plan. If we did that, each agency would take their agent captive, and KATO would know how much we’d worked out. Once that happened, we would never know what their endgame was, and there would be nothing to stop them from finding another approach. I exhaled heavily, irritated. It was so much easier to monitor intel when KATO still thought I was on their side. As afraid as I had been, the inside access I’d had made a huge difference.

  I straightened sharply as a plan started to come together in my mind. It was incredibly risky, but if it worked we would have an advantage like nothing the IDA had ever known. I bit my lip, knowing once I put this out there, there would be no taking it back.

  My dad’s expression darkened. “I think I hate the look that’s on your face right now.”

  I gave him a halfhearted apologetic smile. “I have an idea.” An idea that he would most definitely dislike.

  Next to me, Travis seemed to be holding his breath.

  “Agent Steely,” Simmonds said. “What are you thinking?”

  I turned to Simmonds. “What if we don’t tell anyone about them yet?” I said. I felt a swell of excitement and anxiety in my chest, but I didn’t back down. “What if instead we turn some of them? We give them the chance to spy for us?”

  The stunned silence that followed my proposal was exactly what I expected.

  Travis was the first to find his voice. “You want to make more double agents?”

  I nodded. “I can’t possibly be the only person who would jump at the opportunity to escape KATO. It didn’t seem possible before, but I did it. I can reach out to others.”

  “You’re a success story,” my dad said. There was a note of disbelief in his voice, which I was sure was due to the absurdity of this idea. But I could see a way to make this work.

  “All of the solid information we’ve had has either come from me, or from our trip inside their headquarters. We need to keep that intel coming if we’re going to stay on top of them. And if Jin Su is taking a personal interest in something, we need to put ourselves in the best position possible.” The more I talked, the better this idea sounded. I hadn’t felt truly ahead of KATO since they found out my identity. This would be the chance to fix that. “We have agent files with KATO’s notes. We can go through each file and give them our own assessment, using my file as a baseline for what to look for.”

  “You make a compelling case.” Simmonds dipped his head in a way that made me think he was actually considering this.

  “But it’s also insane,” Travis said, as if he couldn’t believe no else had pointed it out.

  Simmonds conceded a nod. “It is a serious risk. But it could also result in an invaluable asset.” I saw the spark of ambition in his eye. He had proven to be particularly motivated to take risks if it meant we could damage KATO. If I could draw that out of him, I’d have a chance at getting this approved.

  “This could be the best opportunity for everyone.” I spoke with more certainty. “I’m sure most of their agents are brainwashed, but I can’t be the only one to have avoided their methods.”

  “If that’s true, then what do they need us for?” Travis asked. “These agents are stationed in their home countries. They can turn to their own agencies.” He was far from convinced about any of this, but at least he was asking questions.

  “They won’t, though.” I faced Travis, not only to give him my full attention but also to keep my father out of my range of sight. “Not if these other girls didn’t come from spy families like I did.” I looked to Simmonds. “If you didn’t know I was taken against my will, would you have been so inclined to believe me? Even knowing about the drug?”

  Simmonds leaned away from me, considering. “That’s not an easy question to answer.”

  “And that’s exactly why none of these girls will take the chance,” I said. “They won’t risk that this could backfire. But if we find the right people and I can talk to them, there’s a good possibility I can bring them over.”

  “How will you know they’re not playing you?” my dad asked.

  I glanced at him, thinking for a moment. “We offer them the one thing that would pull their loyalty to us,” I said. “The chance to be Gerex-free.”

  Travis raised his eyebrows. “Do you think that will be enough? Because from the way you talk about it, it seems like it would take some serious commitment on their part.”

  “For the right agents, it will be. It was my one condition coming in here. We just need to find a couple whose files look like mine,” I said. “And if we share what little we know about Eliza, that should sway them even more. They won’t like knowing KATO’s after more control.”

  “All right,” my dad said. “If these agents know you’re off the drug, why would they wait for us to help them? Why wouldn’t they get themselves clean?” I tried to keep my face neutral. I tried not to be bothered that he was learning so much about my past.

  “KATO wouldn’t want them to know I’m off of it,” I said. “As it is now, their control hinges on those girls believing they don’t have an out. I left KATO with a Gerex supply. I’m sure they were led to believe I haven’t run out yet.” I tipped my head forward, hiding my eyes before I continued. “And it’s not a detox that an agent is likely to stick with on their own. It would leave them too vulnerable for too long. I know I wouldn’t have done it on my own even if I knew it was possible.” There’s no way I would have gotten through it without Dr. March. I couldn’t imagine making a break from KATO and attempting to detox while they came after me.

  My dad stayed quiet, and Travis was tense next to me. I breathed slowly through my nose, feeling like I’d shared more than I wanted to with my dad here, but I didn’t see a way around it.

  “All right,” Simmonds said, breaking the silence. “Here’s what we’re going to do. Agent Steely, you and Elton are going to go through the files tonight, come up with a short list of possible agents and a plan. Get it to me by the morning. If it’s detailed and thought out, I’ll take it to the board for approval.”

  Travis looked at Simmonds sharply, but didn’t speak.

  “Thank you, sir,” I said.

  He put his hand up as if to hold off my excitement. “I’m not saying it’s an option we should take. But your risks have paid off in the past. You’ve earned the right to have this on the table.”

  I dipped my head. “I appreciate that.”

  Simmonds nodded. “In the meantime, I’m going to need to let the other agencies know they have a mole. I’ll do everything I can to convince them not to take these agents captive, at least for the time being,” he said. “I’ll tell them we may have something in the works that will rectify the problem in the long run, however, we cannot leave the enemy inside our cooperating agencies with them unaware.”

  “Okay,” I said, nodding, “that’s fair.”

  “The two of you can go,” Simmonds said. “Check back with me in the morning with your plan. I should also have more details by then.”

  I thanked Simmonds again and left the office, my head reeling with possibilities.

  • • •

  I moved quickly to the mission prep room, fighting against the mixture of excitement and anxiety that was swirling through me. I took a seat and started opening agent files.

  “Hang on a second.” Travis grabbed the back of my chair, turning me to the side and taking a seat next to me. “Are you sure you know what you’re getting into here?” His face was contracted in question and concern.

  “As sure as I can be,” I said, crossing my arms. “But it would be nice if you were a little more on board.”

  “Part of being your partner is making sure you don’t put either of us—or the agency, for that matter—in a bad situation.” He gave me an even l
ook.

  I slid backward to give myself some space. “You know how I feel about that place. Do you really think I would suggest this if I didn’t think we could pull it off?”

  “I think sometimes you take insane risks.” He raised his eyebrows pointedly. “Especially where KATO is concerned.”

  “You’re not wrong, but I’m not being reckless this time. I’m not rushing into anything.” I kept my voice even, despite the fact that I felt increasingly desperate for him to see where I was coming from. “I’m willing to think this through and make a plan.”

  “There are other ways to find out what these agents know.” He held my eyes and I couldn’t look away. “Why are you pushing this angle so hard?”

  “I’ve survived KATO because of intel,” I said, my nails digging into my biceps. “I crawled around their ventilation shafts so I could learn as much as I could about their operations. Then when I came here, I played my part to keep them talking. And now I hardly know anything. If we do this the safe way and let these KATO operatives be taken by the agencies they’ve infiltrated, the most we’ll get is a one-time intel dump. And that’s if they talk at all.” I rubbed the burn scar below my ear, remembering the lengths KATO would go to in order to keep their secrets. Travis didn’t miss it. I dropped my arm and pushed on. “We need a steady stream of information if we’re going to get serious about beating them. And we need to beat them.”

  Travis’s eyes widened slightly as he seemed to realize something. “You don’t feel safe here, do you?”

  I bit my lip. The mixture of dread and delight that came when he noticed things like this still took me by surprise. “I feel more protected on this campus than I have in a long time,” I said. “But I’m not safe. Not really. Now that they know where my loyalties lie, I won’t be safe as long as they’re out there. I’ll be an easy target until we have a direct plan of action to combat them.”