by V Clifford
‘I’ve already been through it.’ She stood up and went out of the room returning a few seconds later with another USB. ‘I think, for what it’s worth, that this is much more interesting. Everyone was suspicious. You can’t be in the FBI if you’re not, it’s their job, but one was much more antsy than the others at my being around so I checked out her console.’
Mac scratched his head. ‘And how . . .’ He shook his head. ‘Shit Viv. Talk about Sal taking risks.’
‘Oh there’s no way that she knew, but,’ she nodded toward the new USB, ‘I found all that remotely. You’ll defo find stuff of interest on it.’ She shook her head. ‘It’s kind of a game of I’m watching them watching me watching them. No one is trusted at any level. They’re worse than the Russians.’
Mac nodded but she could tell he was bemused.
‘At least Russians understand that everything is propaganda. The Americas still have a fantasy of truth and honour and all that bull.’ She shook her head. ‘Slow learners.’
‘Not too different here.’
She blew out a breath. ‘Ain’t that the truth. When are we going to learn?’
He ignored the question. ‘Come on let’s get down to the office. I’ve managed to get some CCTV footage sent over.’
‘Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t shoot the messenger. It’s just that . . .’
He shrugged. ‘It’s okay.’
It wasn’t, but she couldn’t think what to do to make it right. ‘Let me send an email out before we go. I’ve got clients to appease. They’re champing for haircuts.’
Chapter Three
On the journey to Fettes Viv stared at her phone and swiped furiously at the screen. Eventually as they were pulling into the car park she said, ‘Yep, I knew I had it somewhere.’ She held her screen up in front of Mac. ‘That woman is the one I was suspicious of. It’s her stuff that’s on the other USB. My plan was to dig a bit deeper.’
‘I’d watch which sites you visit. They’ll be expecting activity from . . .’
She interrupted him. ‘Go on spell it out, h-a-c-k-e-r-s. It’s easy.’ She shook her head. ‘You lot will never get the hang of the fact that we can get in and out without trace.’
‘That’s a lie. You say there’s always a trail. A way to trace any activity.’
She sighed. ‘Changes more often than even your socks. Look.’ She put her screen up again.’
He glanced at it. ‘What am I supposed to be looking at?’
She glanced back at the screen. ‘Oops, here.’ She passed it back. ‘See her. She’s definitely dodgy.’
‘I can’t really make her out.’
Viv expanded the image. ‘Maybe we can have it enhanced when we get in.’
‘If it’s relevant.’
‘Shit Mac, I wouldn’t be showing it to you if I didn’t think it was relevant. Trust me. She is dodgy.’
‘You sure it’s not just your green-eyed monster surfacing?’
She rubbed at an invisible mark on the window. ‘Actually, good point but no it isn’t and that’s probably why I’ve been feeling low. I lov . . .’ She heaved a sigh. ‘See I can’t even say it.’
‘Say what?’
‘I was going to say I love Sal to bits. But if you really love someone you don’t love them to bits you just love them full stop. It’s much harder to say it without the “to bits” at the end. You should try it sometime.’
‘Sadly I don’t have that kind of relationship.’
‘I know, and isn’t it about time?’
They pulled into his parking space at Fettes HQ.
He shot her a don’t-even-go-there look and they trotted up the steps to the main door. The first person she met inside was DC Nicholson. ‘Hi Red, how’re you doing?’
‘Long time no see Doc.’ Red nodded to Marconi and continued. ‘What brings you to HQ?’ She clearly hadn’t heard about Sal.
Marconi interrupted, ‘No time to chat now. You two can have a cosy catch-up later.’
Viv and Red raised their eyebrows in a get-him response.
Viv said, ‘Maybe get a coffee before I head home?’
‘No can do Doc, just heading out. Another time. Let’s get that beer you owe me.’
Viv waved before she and Mac took the stairs to the basement. Mac used his swipe card. The doors hissed apart and they entered. Two or three heads shot up but quickly returned to their consoles. She could have sliced the atmosphere with a knife. What was going on? Mac wasn’t the kind of boss who instilled fear and loathing in his staff but something had them on edge. Got to be the news about Sal’s incident. They all knew her.
Mac led the way to the back of the office. Pale grey walls without any windows made for a sullen space. A long trestle table with three large computer screens was a new, temporary addition. As they sat down two people turned and glanced towards them.
Mac didn’t even look but said slightly too sharply, ‘Nothing to see here.’
Their heads returned to what they’d been doing. This room was the reserve of cyber analysts, listeners mainly, but who knew exactly what they were up to? The two who’d turned round slipped their noise-cancelling earphones back on and stared at their screens. Cyber chatter was incessant twenty-four-seven.
Viv nudged Mac’s arm. ‘You okay?’ she mouthed.
He didn’t answer just moved the mouse and the console sprang to life. A few clicks later, both wearing earphones, they stared frame-by-frame at grainy footage of a car park in Virginia.
It wasn’t long before Viv sighed and ripped her earphones off. ‘You’ve got to have a way of improving this. It’s appalling.’ She hadn’t yet seen Sal but her mouth was dry and she rubbed her palms down her trouser legs.
Mac continued to stare at the screen, then he pointed. ‘Here.’ There was a flash from the top right of the frame. ‘See that?’
She nodded. ‘Yes. That wasn’t from someone in the car park.’
He rewound the footage and they stared at it again and again.
Viv said, ‘That flash definitely came from beyond the car park and not from street level. Maybe second or third floor of that building.’ She prodded the screen. ‘Up there.’
Mac blew out a breath. ‘They are reporting it as a drive-by shooting?’
‘Which can only mean they believe it’s an inside job that they’d like to cover up. We need better footage. Where is Sal’s vehicle?’
He pointed at the screen again. ‘There.’ A black sedan sat with its tail-lights illuminated. ‘Can you go back?’
‘Not by much.’
They both watched as the sedan pulled into the parking space and a woman, not Sal, got out and walked towards the hatch as if she was going to order food. Then four or five shots were fired and she fell to the ground. People started running and hiding behind cars. The window of the sedan was shattered. There was no sign of Sal anywhere but Mac was sure it was her inside the car.
‘Are you absolutely sure she was in the car?’
‘Of course she was in the car. Why would they lie about her being injured?’
Viv scratched her head. ‘I feel sick. But I can’t believe it was Sal inside that sedan. I mean she’d never sit and let someone get her food. She’d have got out and gone to the hatch as well. She’s too much of a control freak about what she eats to trust someone to get exactly what she wanted. Can we find out what,’ she pointed to the woman lying on the ground, on the screen, ‘she was ordering? That might give us a clue what was going on.’
‘Doubt it. We’d have to be there.’
Viv nodded. ‘What are we waiting for then?’
‘I’ve already thought of that. We’d have no . . . ’
‘Spare me the jurisdiction shit. If they are holding back information it’s for a reason and they’re not going to tell us what it is unless we go and make them.’
‘You know we can’t make them.’
‘Well I know that you can’t but I’d like to have a word with the woman I showed you the photograph of. Trust me.
She is totally dodgy.’ Viv ran her hand through her hair. ‘I think we’re on our way to Virginia.’
‘Don’t do anything hasty.’
‘That’s the royal we and as far as I remember I don’t come under that.’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘You might want to meet with . . .’
Before Mac could finish, the unit doors hissed open and Ruddy came striding towards them. The others in the room must have received some secret sign because they were up and moving towards the exit before Viv could think straight.
Ruddy nodded at them both then pulled out a chair on rollers and indicated for them to do the same. Viv plonked herself down like a belligerent teenager.
‘I guess you’ve seen the footage,’ Ruddy said. ‘There’s a bigger story here than a drive-by. That’s obvious, but what we can do about it is less so.’
Viv opened her mouth to speak but he continued, ‘I can imagine how you must feel.’
‘No you can’t. If Sal is lying in a hospital bed with no one.’ She swallowed and rubbed her face hard daring her eyes to betray her.
Ruddy went on, ‘She’s got more personnel looking out for her now than you could imagine. Our guys from the embassy are on it.’
Viv understood this to be code for MI6 were now in the frame, which meant the National Task Force – NTF - wouldn’t get a look in. But it still meant that Sal would be surrounded by strangers.
‘If you go out there it could jeopardise their investigation.’
‘By “it” you mean me?’
‘I knew you’d get it, Viv. We’re just as worked up about it as you.’
She shook her head, ‘Oh, I don’t think so.’
‘Okay. But what I need to know is that you won’t do anything that could prevent justice being done.’
‘I don’t know what you mean.’
‘Yes, you do. So for the moment the NTF and associates,’ he stared at her as he emphasised ‘associates’, ‘do the hardest job of all, nothing. Clear? We do absolutely nothing.’
‘And if they don’t get results?’
‘We’ll worry about that then.’ He stood up and blew out a breath, a sure sign that he too was more affected than he would let on. After all if he lost a member of his team he’d take the rap, and have to cope with team morale. Everybody liked Sal. She was smart, funny and easy to work with which made her behaviour in the US all the more difficult to understand.
Ruddy started for the door but turned. ‘You do understand, Viv, don’t you?’
‘I understand . . . Oh, by the way what happened to the golfer?’
He blinked a few times as if trying to recall what she meant. ‘Ah, the golfer. Drug squad are now on it.’ He continued to the doors without looking back.
Mac sat back down at the console and clicked onto the CCTV footage. ‘I’m guessing I wasn’t party to the “golfer”?’
‘Damp squib! He asked me to follow a guy who was on my flight back. I don’t know anything more about it but if he’s saying it has moved along it probably has.’
Viv stood behind him and stared at the screen, willing it to give up its secrets. They were both sure that the flash from the gunfire was definitely not from street level. She rubbed her hands over her face and through her hair. ‘What story would they have put out if an American had been shot on their turf?’
Mac rolled his chair back. ‘Something similar, I’d guess. Come on, I’ll drive you home.’
She pushed her hair off her forehead again and cricked her neck from side to side. ‘Sure. I still can’t believe I slept for more than twenty-four hours. Are you sure the clocks didn’t stop?’
‘You wish. Come on. Are you hungry?’
She hesitated. ‘Not really but I could probably eat. Bella’s?’
‘Bella’s it is.’
It was too early for lunch but as soon as they opened the door into the bistro the smell of her best dark roast coffee worked its magic. Bella approached with menus and they both went to speak at the same time.
‘After you,’ Mac insisted.
‘No, no. After you.’
Bella sighed. ‘How about I bring your usual?’
They nodded. ‘Great.’
Two espressos and fresh almond croissants arrived before Viv could even rearrange the condiments on the table.
Mac smirked when she pulled back her hand as their coffees were placed before them. ‘Service is so good that your anxieties don’t get their fix.’
She heaped sugar into the cup, stirred, licked the spoon then pointed it at him. ‘I can’t imagine what you’re on about.’ She then squared off the sugar bowl, the salt and pepper and brushed away a few grains of something that she couldn’t abide to be on the table, even though she’d dropped them there.
Mac said, ‘So, Doc, what’s your plan?’
‘How do you know I have one?’
‘For God’s sake look at you, you’re like a tightly coiled spring. Besides if I was you, I’d already have booked a flight to Virginia. And I’m guessing that that’s what you were looking up in the car on the way here.’
‘Ten out of ten. I have to go via Dublin to get there by tomorrow night. Probably a better option than going through Heathrow.’
He bit into a croissant and wiped his mouth with a napkin. ‘Don’t suppose there’s any way I could talk you into waiting, is there?’
She slowly shook her head and kept chewing.
‘In that case you’d better count me in.’ He took another bite of his croissant.
She stopped her coffee cup midway to her mouth. ‘You serious?’
He grinned and nodded. ‘Never more so.’
She whipped out her phone and began to type. Nobody died if his or her hair was a fraction too long.
Chapter Four
They had a longer stopover in Dublin than they’d hoped for but it was worth it to go directly to Virginia instead of via New York. Eventually their plane taxied out to the runway and she braced herself for takeoff. Once they’d reached their cruising height she released the sides of the seat and her knuckles returned to their normal colour.
Mac had shown his credentials at the desk and they’d been upgraded to business class for a reasonable fee.
They were directed upstairs in the 747 and when she found their places her eyes almost popped out. ‘This is defo the way to travel. On my last flight my knees banged on the seat in front all the way over the Atlantic. The guy in the seat shot me daggers every time he got up to the loo or to stretch his legs. Arse.’
Mac shook his head. ‘They wouldn’t have upgraded us unless there were free spaces which they’d been unable to sell at full price. Don’t go thinking that I was wielding my power, because I don’t have any.’
‘Whatever!’ She stretched her legs and sighed. ‘Oh, I could get used to this.’
Their individual seats extended to become narrow beds. Cabin crew arrived with the offer of champagne or soft. They both opted for soft.
Viv shook her head. ‘Another time we’ll bring straws and indulge in a whole bottle.’
‘Sure. Anything you say.’
They were also offered a pillow, a duvet and a mattress topper type of thing. Viv accepted everything they brought including a goodie bag. She unzipped it and pulled out the contents: velvet eye-pads, socks and slippers, earplugs, a toothbrush, toothpaste and moisturiser. She held up the socks. ‘Really?’
‘God, Viv, it’s like travelling with a toddler.’
Another passenger smiled at their exchange and sipped on his glass of bubbly.
She snorted, ‘You ain’t seen nothin’. Just wait ‘til they bring round the food.’
He pulled on his eye mask and laid his head back. Not a chance of sleep with her next to him. She had her laptop out and her fingers danced over the keys searching for information on Quantico that Mac would disapprove of. Tough. He’d already demonstrated willingness to stray from the ‘book’ by coming with her. But just as that thought occurred to her she wondered if Ruddy had protes
ted too much, and that this had been his intention all along? It made sense. He would want to be able to deny anything that they did. ‘I take it we’re meant to be here?’
Mac stirred, ‘I don’t know what you mean.’ But he lifted his mask and winked at her before pulling it back on.
‘You are a total bastard. You know that, don’t you.’
He nodded and feigned slumber.
She blew out a huge breath. ‘One of these days . . .’
Chapter Five
After eating, sleeping and avoiding the temptation of alcohol, they touched down in Dulles ready for work. With only hand luggage, (there was nothing that they’d need that couldn’t be bought in the US) they were through at the customs gate before anyone else.
They approached the desk with their passports at the ready, but were intercepted by two men in dark blue suits.
‘DCI Marconi and Doctor Fraser. We’ve been expecting you.’
Viv shot a glance at Mac. He shrugged in a don’t-ask-me gesture. The taller of the two stepped forward and put out his hand.
They all shook and the taller man introduced himself. ‘Agent Joseph Freeland and this is my colleague, Agent Charlie Juliani. Welcome to Virginia. Surprised it took you so long.’
Mac shook his head at Viv and said, ‘We over-slept.’
Freeland laughed and said, ‘I forget about the English sense of humour.’
Viv couldn’t stop herself. ‘Oh we Scots forget about it all the time.’
He didn’t get it but knew something was amiss. Mac, opting for the role of ‘good cop’ said, ‘Long flight.’
Freeland said, ‘Follow me. We’ve a car outside.’
Viv said, ‘Don’t we need to go through passport control?’
He turned and pointed to the queue now snaking way back beyond the cordons. ‘You can if you like.’
She hesitated and touched Mac’s arm. He said, ‘I bet these guys know what they’re doing. It should be fine.’
Viv wasn’t convinced but followed them out of the hall, leaving behind the noise of beeping machines and the anxious voices of folk high on the adrenalin of being somewhere new, strange, unknown. For others, excitement was off the scale. There were so many people about. The super-sized airport was like so many things in the US. Outside, bright sunlight and piercing blue as far as the eye could see made the sky look too big and at odds with the occasion. Metal, glass and mirrors dazzled and although it was air-con cold it would be easy to believe that they’d arrived in the middle of summer.
