Out of Sight (Project Athena)

by Trish Milburn

  Jenna turned the folder around, opened it and scanned the supply order form before returning it to its previous position — all in the few seconds it took Patti to reappear with a tray of supplies.

  Patti extended the tray. “Clean the mirrors and fixtures in all the bathrooms. By the time you’re done with that, the First Lady’s meeting will be over and the conference room will have to be cleaned again.”

  “Got it.” Jenna had to find a way to engage Patti in more than quick bursts of conversation if she was to determine if the woman was a genuine suspect. She affected a concerned expression. “Are you okay? You seem like you’re having a bad day.”

  Patti’s scrunched eyebrows conveyed her surprise and suspicion. “I’m fine.”

  “Okay, but if you need to talk, all my friends say I’m a good listener.” She was going to make herself puke.

  A cluster of staffers walked by the office.

  “There sure are a lot of people here. How in the world do they keep up with them all?”

  “Security,” Patti said without expression. “Very good security.”

  Whether Patti was frustrated by that security or suspicious of her question, Jenna couldn’t tell. Deciding not to press her luck, she headed for the nearest restroom. Who knew, maybe someone would see the restroom as a safe conversation spot and say something of interest.

  No such luck. The bathroom detail revealed nothing useful.

  When her afternoon break came, she chose what appeared to be the least used ladies room to make her first transformation. Maybe if she was invisible, she’d overhear something more interesting.

  She slipped inside the last stall and forced her breath to slow, her ears to strain for the slightest sound, and marshaled her energy for the change.

  She didn’t know how many times she’d made herself invisible, but it was always a last resort when her other skills weren’t enough. She’d much prefer to use her gun or her wits to disarm felons and rescue those in jeopardy, but neither would likely be enough for the task fate had thrown in her path.

  Jenna rubbed her sweaty palms against her pants, trying not to worry about the repercussions of staying invisible more than her thus-far thirty-minute max. Quick and thorough, that was the plan.

  The need to get this first phase behind her prompted Jenna to listen to her surroundings one more time before closing her eyes and focusing all her energy on her skin, then the muscles beneath, the life-giving blood, lungs, heart. Though it required more energy than if she were naked, she extended her thoughts to the clothing she wore. The odd light sensation that accompanied her total invisibility enveloped her. Even after all the times she’d made the change, she still held up her hand and marveled that she couldn’t see it.

  With the minutes already ticking, she stepped out of the stall and listened for footsteps in the hallway. Hoping no one was outside, she slipped out the door and made her way down the hall.

  She pictured the blueprint of the White House and decided to explore. Maybe she’d get lucky and hear something interesting while checking out the Lincoln Bedroom.

  After examining several empty rooms and listening to a couple of political conversations about filibusters and health care policy, Jenna followed the sound of indistinct voices coming from the Map Room.

  “Are you certain it’s going to work?” came a man’s familiar voice.

  Another man responded. An older voice. “There’s a ninety percent probability of success.”

  “Ninety isn’t good enough. I don’t have to tell you what’s at stake.”

  What the devil were they talking about? A bill before Congress or a presidential assassination? It was as if they were being deliberately vague to frustrate her.

  “I’ll see what I can do, sir.” The older man sounded tired, and for a moment Jenna felt sorry for him. Something about the man he called sir rubbed her the wrong way. She didn’t have to look to know he was a bully.

  She tried to see in the cracked door, but all she could identify was the back of someone’s dark suit. The meeting broke up, and the suit headed toward the door, forcing her to step back or risk being bumped. As the tall man passed on a rush of air, the voice clicked into place with his profile. No wonder her skin had crawled when she’d heard him.

  She wasn’t a great fan of Vice President Archer. He struck her as the epitome of all things bad about politicians, not to mention he was physically intimidating. He stood a good half-foot taller than President Thomas, which is why she suspected Archer was always sitting or off camera when the president appeared on television.

  For a moment, she wished he was the assassin so she’d never have to see his smug expression again. But she couldn’t let her personal feelings cloud her judgement. He was the vice president, for Pete’s sake. Sure, he would become president if Thomas were killed, but how could he possibly hope to get away with it?

  Her skin crawled at the thought and the memory of Daniel and his boss emphasizing that no one had been marked off the suspect list yet.

  The complexity of her task weighed down on her. How many people had access anyway? Everyone from the first family down to the janitorial staff and the people who kept the dozens of vases full of fresh-cut flowers. She had to start eliminating suspects if she hoped to find the assassin in time and before she got sucked any farther into the web of secrecy.

  ****

  Jenna pulled into her parking spot in front of the town house following a failed after-hours attempt to search Patti’s computer files. Henry Jacobs, the night supervisor, hadn’t budged from the office during the entire thirty-five minutes she’d waited before sneaking back past the security guards.

  She counted it a good sign that a committee of the locals wasn’t at the town house to evict her car. She stared at her front door, wondering what she would do for the rest of the evening. With no four-legged friends to welcome her home or take care of, the remaining hours of the day seemed empty.

  She’d ask Daniel for a laptop with Internet access so she could do some Web sleuthing. The agency had probably already done extensive checks on everyone, but at least she’d feel like she was doing something.

  Knowing that an assassin stalked the president just across the river weighed on her mind. She’d much rather stay on the job until it was finished, but she wouldn’t be on her toes if she were exhausted. And just the prospect of having to make herself invisible every day for an indefinite amount of time left her drained and hopeful she could solve the case quickly.

  Her muscles protested as she got out of the car and made her way to the front door. She pushed the door open and reached for the alarm keypad before she realized the alarm wasn’t beeping at her entry. Her body stiffened, instantly alert and ready to attack or retreat, whichever proved necessary.

  She reached for her gun, but the instinct did no good since her Glock was at home a time zone away. Instead, she wrapped her fingers around the knife in her pocket and strained to hear any movement or signs of life, focused on the dim interior in search of anything out of the ordinary.

  “You could see better if you turned on the light.”

  Jenna gasped at the unexpected voice, then recognition kicked in. She flipped on the light and stared at Daniel sitting on her couch as if he lived there.

  “Is this your idea of proving a point?”

  “No. I was hungry.” He held up a thick sandwich and a bag of barbecue chips.

  “And you can’t eat at your place? With the lights on?”

  “I was in the mood for a change of scenery.”

  Jenna locked the door behind her and headed up the stairs to her bedroom to change. “No wonder your parents gave you a weird name. They took one look at you and knew you’d grow up to be a pain in the ass.”

  Daniel’s laugh followed her up the stairs. She closed and locked her bedroom door, half afraid Daniel would come up the stairs while she changed out of her sticky janitor’s uniform.

  She felt marginally better once she changed into a pair of
shorts and a T-shirt. With bare feet, she went back downstairs to find Daniel with his feet propped on the coffee table and watching a Redskins preseason game.

  With a roll of her eyes, she headed for the kitchen.

  “There’s another sandwich in the fridge,” Daniel said without taking his eyes off the television.

  Jenna opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bag with Carmen’s Deli on the side. She wasn’t the least surprised when she opened the wrapper to reveal a cold cut sandwich with cheese, pickles, onions, oregano, oil and vinegar. She stepped into the doorway between the kitchen and living room with her arms crossed. “Is there anything about me you don’t know?”

  Daniel tore his gaze away from the TV and made the effort to look perplexed. “Hmm, favorite flower. Haven’t figured that one out yet.”

  “Good to know all the important stuff is still secret.” Jenna grabbed her sandwich and plopped down in the armchair to watch the game. If she pretended nothing out of the ordinary was going on, maybe she’d wake up and have her normal life back.

  Daniel surprised her by waiting until the end of the first quarter to click off the TV and turn to her. With her sandwich eaten, she didn’t have anything to occupy her attention other than the dark eyes pointed at her.

  “So, how was your first day?”

  “Fabulous. I have a real knack for mopping.”

  “Now see, I didn’t know that about you either.”

  She stared at him with narrowed eyes. “You’re impossible.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t demand details as soon as I walked in the door.”

  “If you’d identified the assassin, you would have told me without my asking.”

  With a heavy sigh, she turned sideways in the chair so she faced him. She leaned back against the chair’s overstuffed arm and detailed her day from the time she’d hung up on him that morning after finding the Pinto outside until she’d entered the town house to find him occupying her living room.

  “I take it you don’t like the vice president.”

  She’d tried to mask her personal feelings, but she should have known better. Nothing got past Daniel.

  “He thinks a mite too highly of himself.”

  “I didn’t peg you as a political junkie.”

  “I’m not. I just don’t like bullies, and I knew Edward Archer was a bully the first time I saw him speak.”

  “You think he has anything to do with it?” Daniel asked the question as if he thought it as unlikely as she did but wanted to cover all the bases.

  She shrugged. “Probably not, but it’s hard to tell. The conversation between him and the other man didn’t reveal any useful information. They could have been talking about anything.”

  “And you’re sure you didn’t recognize the other man?”

  She shook her head. “I’ve never seen him before. Just a guy in a suit. Maybe an attorney, a Secret Service agent, I don’t know. But I’ll watch for him and get an ID.”

  “Okay. Tomorrow, keep an eye open for an opportunity to search Kenton’s computer files. Jacobs has to leave at some point.”

  “I don’t know. I’ve seen desk cops sit at their desks for eight hours without taking eight steps. If it weren’t for coffee and apple fritters, they might never get up.”

  “I don’t think you get to work at the White House if you’re useless.”

  Good point. Everyone she’d seen that day except Henry and the guards manning the entrances had been in a hurry.

  “I want a laptop with Internet access,” she said.

  “Why?”

  “So I can play online Mahjong. Why the hell do you think I want it?”

  He stared at her, saying nothing.

  “So I’m doing something useful while I’m here instead of killing brain cells with the TV.”

  Still he said nothing. What did he think, that she was going to set up a daily blog about her forays in the White House?

  Jenna rose and took the empty deli wrappers to the trash in the kitchen. When she stepped back into the living room, Daniel was headed for the front door. “Where do you think you’re going?” Granted, she hadn’t provided much useful intel, but she had to try to get something in return.

  He turned and lifted his eyebrows. “Home, but if you have other plans...”

  Daniel sauntered toward her, but she stood her ground. “Don’t flatter yourself. You know the deal. I provide you with information. You return the favor.”

  “You sure know how to bolster a guy’s ego.”

  “I’m not overly concerned about your ego.”

  The teasing evaporated as Daniel shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “There was a particularly bad African warlord back in the early ‘80s by the name of Abu Katayami. He slaughtered people by the thousands, but no one ever heard about it. Atrocities in Africa don’t make the news here too often. But he was brutal, and the American soldiers who saw the corpses Katayami left behind complained enough that those at high levels began to listen. Things were...let’s say complicated. Sending troops into Africa is never a popular proposal, especially not in an election year. But the more we heard about what was going on, the more we were determined to remove Katayami, one way or another.”

  “And my father was the one who removed him?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then what happened?”

  Daniel made to leave. Jenna grabbed his arm. “Don’t leave me hanging like this.”

  “That’s all I can tell you today.”

  “Because your boss who is too afraid to show himself says so?”

  Daniel took her by the upper arms so suddenly, it surprised her. “Listen to me very carefully. Some of the things you said to him last night were not in your best interest.”

  “He’s not going to do anything to me. There’s too much at stake.”

  “Maybe not now. But you’ll never be able to hide. We’ll always know where you are.”

  She pulled herself free. “Like you know where my father is?”

  “I’ve told you all I know. You get what I get.”

  She detected no dishonesty in his words. “Fine.” This crumb at a time was going to drive her insane. “If I mind my tongue, will your boss give me more information each time?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “For a spook, you sure don’t know much.”

  “I know if you don’t watch what you say and do, you might end up in a specimen jar.”

  The ball of ice in her stomach grew larger, consuming her from the inside out.

  “Get out.” She expected to see frost on her words as they met the air, but the cold remained inside her.

  “I put my number by your phone in the kitchen and next to the one in your bedroom. Call if you need me.”

  She’d rather call the devil than Daniel Webster.

  He turned and walked out into the night. She slammed the door behind him.

  In a low voice that rumbled through the wood he said, “I’m standing on the other side of this door until I hear the lock and the alarm.”

  Jenna slid the deadbolt and the lock on the doorknob into place, then set her alarm. She leaned against the door, wondering if Daniel had walked away.

  “Good night,” he said in a tone less harsh, almost friendly.

  “Go to hell.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  By the time her lunch break arrived the next day, Jenna was ready to escape the spit and polish inside the White House for some outdoor air. Not only did she dislike the necessity of being inside all day, but her morning had revealed nothing more useful than the knowledge that the Blue Room was decorated in the French Empire style. Add her frustration on top of the nightmares she’d had about being dissected the night before and she had one whale of a headache.

  She took her brown bag filled with a cold fajita roll and chips and retreated to a bench underneath a sprawling tree on the lawn.

  “I see you’ve discovered my favorite lunch spot.”


  Jenna looked up from her meal to see Calvin Franklin standing a few feet away holding a bag much like her own.

  “I’d say I’m sorry, but I’ve been eyeing this spot all morning.”

  Calvin gave her the wide smile she’d noticed the day before. “Mind if I join you?”

  “Not at all.” If you let me pick your brain.

  “So, how was your first day?”

  “Fine. It all takes some getting used to.”

  Calvin nodded. “That it does. Never know who you’ll see. Could be an old World War II soldier come to get a long-overdue medal or the Queen of England.”

  “I guess you’ve seen a lot of people pass through these doors.”

  “Yes. It still boggles my mind even after ten years.”

  Jenna wanted to probe the depths of Calvin’s memories, to see the progression of faces he’d witnessed during the last decade. She couldn’t exactly ask him if any of those people looked like an assassin. Odd question coming from a woman wearing a janitor’s uniform.

  “Anything stick out in particular?”

  “Oh, lots. When all the Middle Eastern leaders were here to work on the peace accords was interesting. Probably triple the security as normal.”

  “Hard to believe they could make the house any more secure than it is.”

  “Trust me, the Mossad takes security extremely seriously. You don’t even want to look at those guys cross-eyed.”