"I'm still shocked that Philby is a girl," I said. I kept checking the kittens every two seconds. "I know how to pick 62 different types of locks. I can dismantle, clean, reassemble, and load any gun in five minutes. I know the names of every terrorist sect and sub-sect in the world. But I know nothing about cats."
"Thank God for Kelly and Rex," Riley said as he pulled into the parking lot. I felt a twinge of guilt at the mention of Rex. But now was not the time to talk to Riley.
We carried the box in and checked in with the receptionist who took us to the exam room.
Dr. Rye burst into the room and handed me a bunch of pamphlets. "About kittens, Ms. Wrath."
He examined Philby and each kitten. He did his usual staring silently for a long time.
"I want to weigh them and check their stool samples. This will take a little while. Why don't you sit in the waiting room?" the doc finally said.
"Is something wrong?" I asked. Please don't let something be wrong…
Dr. Rye smiled and shook his head. "No. Nothing like that. I just want to get their measurements, observe them feeding, all basic stuff. Too many people in here will distract Mama."
Riley put his hand on my shoulder. "Come on, Merry. Let's get this over with." He guided me out the door and down the hall to the lobby, where we sat.
"It shouldn't take too long," I said. "We're the only ones here."
Riley nodded. "Let's take our mind off it by thinking about this." He pulled the ledger page out of his pocket, and we stared at it in hopes something would magically appear and explain it.
"It doesn't look like orders for something," I said, pointing to the columns. "I thought that was it at first, with columns for dates, quantity, etc. But I think it's something else." And by think, I meant that I had absolutely no clue.
"These numbers are all five digits long," Riley mused. "Could they be commercial codes?"
"Huh." I took out my cellphone and went to the browser. I typed in the first number and hit search. "That's weird."
Riley looked at my phone. "Wait…try another one."
I typed in another number and the same thing came up.
"No way," I said as we looked at each other.
The receptionist came back to the desk and sat down, startling us. I heard mewing at the end of the hall. How long had it been?
"Dr. Rye's a good vet, right?" I asked her.
The woman looked up at me quizzically. "What?" She was in her early 30s, blonde hair pulled back severely into a bun. Her nametag said Anna.
Riley must've been worried too. "We're just a little nervous. These are our first kittens."
"Oh." She frowned like she was thinking of something. "I don't really know. I'm just a temp."
"Okay." I said. "Can I talk to one of the nurses?"
"You mean Vet Assistants? We don't really have nurses." She seemed confused even when correcting us.
"Okay," I said. "One of those. Can we speak to them?"
"You could. If they were here. I'm the only one right now, and I don't really know the others."
Riley and I exchanged looks. "You don't know the other people who work here?"
She shook her head. "It's a really new office."
A chill went through me. "How new exactly?"
The woman shrugged, and I jumped to my feet, running down the hall toward my cat with Riley hot on my heels.
I threw open the door to see Philby, alone and covered in blood, with the kittens mewing loudly from their box. I checked my cat. A savage cut tore across the back of her neck and she was barely breathing.
"My cat!" I cried.
"The chip!" Riley growled as he drew his gun and took off.
I called Kelly, putting her on speaker and tried to bandage my cat's neck.
"Please don't die!" I said over and over as I wrapped her in a blanket to keep her warm. Philby looked at me and laid her head back down.
"Who's dying?" Kelly's voice asked.
I told her what had happened, and she said she'd meet me at a veterinarian's office about five minutes away.
The receptionist wandered in, and I demanded she grab the box of kittens and follow me. Riley was nowhere to be found, but because he'd carried the cats' box, I'd had his keys.
I've driven in some bad circumstances before. The worst had to be the Death Road in Ecuador—a muddy, barely single lane road that crumbled over a horrible chasm—while being chased by drug runners shooting AK-47s in my direction. At night.
This was worse. It was rush hour, and I wasn't totally sure where the vet's office was or if they were open. Philby's breathing was growing shallow and the kittens were protesting loudly. I swerved to the right roughly, apologizing to the cats, and came to a screeching stop outside a building with a huge plastic parrot over the door.
Was it just a bird doctor? What kind of vets just did birds? Well, birds are just cats with feathers, right? I thought frantically as I grabbed the box and ran for the door. It was unlocked. The waiting room was full of people with various animals, but I ran up to the counter and showed Philby to them.
"Come on back!" A woman dressed in scrubs insisted, and I followed her. She set me up in a room, and a tall, thin, middle-aged woman came in seconds later. She had a kind face, which was good, or I would've shot her.
"I'm Dr. Glen," she said without looking at me, because she was examining the cat. "Someone cut her open," Dr. Glen said. "She's lost a lot of blood."
I told her everything while she gave Philby a shot and nodded occasionally. Kelly burst into the room and stood there, staring at the mess.
"Dr. Rye has been on medical leave for two weeks," the vet said. "His practice was supposed to be closed except for boarded animals."
Kelly's jaw dropped open.
"I just figured that out," I said sadly. How could we have been so stupid? And yes, I was including Riley in the we. See how bad it is when a couple works together? We were so over. And his concern for the chip instead of Philby? Oh yes. This talk was going to be easier than I thought.
Finally the vet looked at me. "Go to the waiting room. I need to get some more of my staff in here to help."
Kelly snatched the box of kittens and we went back to the lobby.
"Too many people," I said, and she nodded, following me out to the SUV. I ran the engine to keep the kittens warm and took a deep breath.
"What the hell happened?" Kelly shouted. "Where's Riley? Who did this to Philby?"
"The fake Dr. Rye did this to my cat," I said, holding back my anger. "Riley should be shooting him in the balls about right now. If not, then I'll be shooting him in the balls later."
I should've known something was off when Rye didn't tell me the cat was female and pregnant. I was seriously losing my touch. Things were starting to come together in my mind, but I didn't have it all figured out yet. I needed Riley to put the last few pieces together.
"Who is the fake Dr. Rye?" Kelly asked.
I shook my head. "I don't know, but he's not a vet. In fact, I'm pretty sure he's a spy."
"So Angela's a spy, and the vet is a spy, and Bobb is a spy?" Kelly asked while Philby's tiny progeny hissed in unison.
"No, Angela's not of the same caliber. I think she and Bobb work for the same person, and all of this ties in to the beginning with Lenny Smith showing up to die on my stoop." The kittens hissed more weakly this time. I'm sure they were hungry.
"And Midori?" Kelly was stroking the kittens. "Could this have to do with her?"
"I've no idea." Bits and pieces of the puzzle were filled in, but not the whole picture.
My cell buzzed, and I read the text.
"Riley wants me to meet him at the safe house," I frowned. "I can't leave Philby and the kittens."
Kelly opened the door to the car and got out with the box. "Go. I've got this."
I hesitated but another text came through. All it said was, Hurry Finn!!
"All right." I said as I put on my seat belt. "Let me know the minute you talk to Dr. Glen."<
br />
Kelly nodded and took the box back into the vet's. I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street. I would go meet Riley, but first, I was going to stop at my house and get my gun.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
"Are you sure about this?" Rex asked as he climbed into the car wearing his body armor and packing his service pistol.
I nodded. "You called in reinforcements?"
"I did. They'll be there. It was tough to explain why I needed a yarn shop surrounded, but they'll do it. What made you so certain something was up?"
Throwing the car in reverse, I gave him a look. "Riley called me Finn. He doesn't call me Finn. Not since before I moved here."
It had been inspired, really. Either Riley texted that to warn me, or someone had his phone and didn't know I went by Merry now, but it didn't matter. Something was wrong, and I had to deal with it.
As I drove, I filled Rex in on what had happened to Philby.
"Bastard," Rex growled. "I hate people who prey on helpless animals."
"And there's something else you should know." I bit my lip and gave him a weak smile. "It's about Angela."
"What about Angela?" He asked.
"Well, she's in a CIA holding area after Riley shot her for shooting at us." Okay, that could've come out better, but a little old lady dodged into the road, and I had to swerve to miss her.
"What?" Rex shouted. I told him everything. There was no point in holding back now. He listened in silence, and when I was done, shook his head.
"Wow. Just…wow. What is it with all of my exes being crazy?"
"Wait…all of your exes? As in more than one?" I asked. And did he say they'd all been crazy?
"Watch where you're going!" Rex grabbed the wheel to steer me out of the way of an oncoming truck.
A minute later, I slammed on the brakes. We were a block away at a shop across the street from All About Ewe. I didn't want to just walk into an ambush. Rex led me into the furniture store, and we went to the back room to check the windows.
"I don't see anything unusual." Rex frowned.
"I do," I said as I checked my gun. "The sign says Closed in the middle of the day."
My boyfriend, the cop, sighed. "So, what's the plan?"
I shrugged. "Time to go in. Just me. Alone."
Rex shook his head. "Oh no. I'm going with you."
"You can't. You're the cavalry. If I don't come out in five minutes, you and your guys come in."
"No. I don't like it," he said.
"I'll be fine." I kissed him. "But make sure you come in and rescue me."
"You have two minutes. Not five." Rex kissed me back. "Starting now."
I walked out of the furniture store, around the corner and right up to All About Ewe. The lights were out inside. My fingers gripped the door handle for a moment, and I felt the confidence of my pistol in my waistband. With a deep breath, I pulled open the door and went in.
"Hello? Suzanne? Riley?" I called out trying to sound like I didn't suspect anything. No one answered. I found the lights and switched them on and still didn't see anyone. Whoever it was who'd wanted me there must be in the safe house in back.
As I walked through the store, I picked up a pair of wooden knitting needles that had wickedly sharp points and shoved them into my back pocket. There was no sound as I approached the bookcase that hid the door. I shoved it aside and slowly opened the door. It was dark.
A bullet hit the doorframe less than a centimeter from my head. I drew my gun as I dropped and fired in the direction the shot came from. A man cried out in pain, and I silently prayed it wasn't Riley as I rolled across the floor to where I'd remembered the bed being.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!" A woman's scream thundered toward me, and I put my arms up in time to catch her before she dropped on top of me. Hands that felt like a steel vice circled my throat and squeezed. I brought my arms up between hers and down over them to break the grip, then brought my knees up hard, knocking her headfirst into the wall behind me. Her body shuddered before going limp.
Another shot rang out, a little to my left. I started crawling to my right, trying to focus in the dim light. It was hopeless. I didn't want to shoot without knowing if Riley was in here. I kept going until my head smacked on the table.
Stars filled my vision, and I dropped to the floor just as someone lunged on top of me and used his knee to crush my throat. It was working. I felt all over the leg until I felt blood. My first shot must've gone through his thigh. I jammed my finger into the wound.
My assailant screamed but kept pushing his knee into my neck. Even though I struggled, I felt consciousness slipping away. I couldn't breathe at all, and in a second my trachea would be crushed.
I fought through the encroaching darkness and pain, feeling my attacker's breath on my face. Fighting was no use, and I remembered I had another weapon. Reaching back to my pocket, I pulled the knitting needles out and jabbed upward as far as I could reach.
A scream brought me back to life as the knee lifted off my throat. I gasped for air and scrambled to my feet as light flooded the room and Rex, followed by four uniformed policemen, ran in.
Suzanne was crumpled against the wall where I'd left her. Bobb was gurgling as he clawed at two knitting needles plunged into his throat, his thigh bleeding heavily from the gunshot wound. But Dr. Rye and Riley were nowhere to be found.
"I remember this guy," Rex said 10 minutes later as paramedics were loading Bobb onto a gurney. "But who is that?" He pointed to Suzanne's dead body that lay where it fell. Apparently, slamming into the wall had snapped her neck. Too bad.
"Suzanne Smith," I said as I rubbed my throat.
"Like Lenny Smith?" Rex asked.
I nodded. "His daughter. When Daddy was arrested, she changed her name and joined the CIA. Turns out, she was the mastermind spy. Not her father. He just took the heat for her."
Rex stared at me. "You didn't tell me about her."
I shrugged. "Because she didn't register. She was invisible. Unnoticeable and had been vetted by the agency as Suzanne Aubrey."
"I still don't know how you figured that out," Rex said.
"Remember how I told you I'd found that ledger sheet? Riley and I didn't get it at first. But then I googled a little bit of it on my cell while waiting at fake Dr. Rye's. What popped up was a newspaper article about a young girl who'd won the Westinghouse Award for writing computer code. The girl was Suzanne. And in the background was the photo of her parents, Ann and Lenny Smith." I'd seen their initials on the sheet, SS and LS.
Rex shook his head. "I don't get why the internet address for an old news article would be on a ledger sheet?"
"I'm not entirely sure. But I'd guess that Lenny was seeking me out because he wanted to tell me that his daughter was responsible for the espionage he'd been imprisoned for."
"Why would he turn on his daughter if he took the rap for her in the beginning?" Rex asked.
"I don't know. Maybe they'd become estranged? Maybe she didn't send him a card on Father's Day? Who knows?" I shrugged.
"But that doesn't explain Angela, Bobb, the chip in Philby's neck, Dr. Rye, or why Riley disappeared. There's too much we don't know," Rex said.
"Fortunately, it's not your problem." I nodded and pointed at the door. Two older CIA agents had entered the room and were taking control of the situation. They flashed their ID at us.
Rex sighed. "Okay. But will you come by later and fill me in?" He kissed me before gathering up his men and joining the two agents.
I sat down on the bed and checked my cell.
Philby's going to be fine. Kelly texted. Bringing her and the kittens back to my house after they finish stitching her up.
Closing my eyes, I leaned back against the wall. At least they were safe. Now I just needed to find Riley. Hopefully, he had Dr. Rye's head in a bag for me to punch.
"Good job, Ms. Wrath." One of the CIA suits was standing in front of me when I opened my eyes. "I can see we lost a good agent with you."
I stood. "Thanks. And you are?"
He held out his hand. "Chuck Winslow." He motioned to his partner. "And this is Dennis Gray."
I shook their hands and didn't ask any more questions. I recognized the faces and names. They'd worked with Cy Stern on the Lenny Smith case.
"I have to ask," I ventured. "Why did Lenny come see me when he got out? I never worked with him."
Dennis Gray answered. "The woman who impersonated you at the prison visit gave him your name and told him where to find you. Her partner, the man you called Bobb, broke him out and got him here. They worked for the daughter." He pointed at the dead woman.
"They thought he might give you the information on the missing SD card, since you weren't an active agent anymore," Winslow finished. "They didn't think he'd betray Suzanne in the process. Once they realized that, they killed him."
Of course these two knew everything. And of course they never thought that was important enough to tell Riley. The CIA worked in mysterious ways. Agents never trusted anyone but their partner. Asking these two why they'd let things get so out of hand was worthless. They wouldn't tell me anyway.
"So Lenny had microchipped his cat, but with the SD card instead," I said.
The men nodded. "That's what we think too. But it wasn't his cat. It was just a stray he'd found and took in to some vet on his way here. Bobb followed him after busting him out of Florence. He knew the cat was important but didn't know how."
"So do you guys know how Lenny escaped from a supermax prison?" I asked.
"That's classified, Ms. Wrath," they said in perfect unison.
I excused myself and drove the SUV home. Kelly called to say she'd take care of Philby and the kittens overnight. I was so tired, I agreed. I cleared the house before going to the kitchen and pouring a glass of wine. Where was Riley? And where was fake Dr. Rye?
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
My cell phone rang, jolting me awake. I'd fallen asleep on the couch with my gun on my stomach. Not good form.
"Riley?" I asked as I checked the caller ID. "Where are you?"
"Sorry, Merry. I can't say," Riley answered apologetically.
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