I grab the Metro past my hotel. I’m too keyed up to sleep, and there’s no way I’m going to anyone with this. I get off at the Capitol and decide to walk off my nervous energy. I need to move, think, and plan.
I wish I had someone here that I could trust. I consider Frank, but then I wonder if I’m willing to put him in the middle of this shit.
My brain needs to run through it all and try to recall how the hell she turned that office into her fortress. I’ll never remember that code, and even if I do, turning over the file is a mistake.
There’s no way in hell I’m going to let them keep her. Plus, who will believe the CIA has her hostage? This entire situation couldn’t be any worse if we tried. She’s in trouble, and I don’t know if I can save her.
The hairs on the back of my neck prick. Great, another mystery visitor. I move a little faster, and the footsteps behind me follow. I’m not armed, I’m in a strange city, and I’m being stalked by my own government. The same one I served and took a bullet for. How’s this for irony?
“You can go home now, I’m not going anywhere,” I say aloud, probably sounding like a psycho.
I hear a laugh. “I think you could use a friend.”
I turn, and find Frank standing there. “You know I could’ve killed you in a second.”
Frank grins. “I could’ve laid you out before you got a punch in. Let’s not forget that I went through the same training as you.”
“We probably shouldn’t talk,” I say as he continues to follow me. “It’s not safe for you to be around me.”
“I’ll take my chances.” He laughs as if he couldn’t give a shit less. “What’s our next step?”
No way. He’s not getting involved. “I think this should be a solo mission, man.”
“They got her, didn’t they?”
“I’m serious.”
He huffs. “If it were my girl, I’d want a partner. Someone who can access information, find leads, and kill quietly.”
I get what he’s saying. We’re both former SEALs, but there’s a line I won’t cross. Dragging someone else down doesn’t seem like a good idea. I don’t know anything about Frank’s life. He could be married, a father, and I have a feeling this won’t end well. I can’t be responsible for ruining his life. Don’t I sound like Jackson now?
Fuck that. All I can do is give him the options, and then it’s his choice.
“Look, I’m going to get her back by any means necessary. I can’t sit back, and I don’t know you, but if you’re in . . . you’re in. If you can’t for any reason do whatever that means, then walk away now.”
Frank stops in front of an Irish Pub and extends his hand. “Well, the least you can do is buy me a beer. If I’m willing to go on a suicide mission and all.”
I laugh. “Deal.”
We grab a table in the back. Both of us sit so we’re able to see the door. Rule number one: Never turn your back on the enemy or the unknown.
Once we get our drinks, we get into planning.
“I’m assuming this has to do with the incident I was looking in to?” Frank drinks a beer while I sip Scotch.
“Yup.”
“How high up do you think this goes?”
“No idea, but considering the visit I had, I’m not thinking it’s a low man on the totem pole.”
Frank nods. “I didn’t think it was, considering the move they made last month. No one just drugs someone at a family function. There’s motive behind an attempt like that. Any chance her family is involved?”
“I don’t think so. Her mom lost her husband not too long ago. I doubt she’d want her daughter dead.”
He mulls that over, hesitates a few times, and then finally shares what’s on his mind. “Look, her brother though, he’s pretty intent on winning the election. There’s a lot of backhanded stuff that goes on behind the scenes. I think we should look at all of them. I don’t know that if my sister’s life was on the line that I’d be meeting with another operative.”
My brows lower. “What do you mean, another op?”
Frank pulls out his phone, swipes to a photo and lays it on the table. “That’s Mandi Milostan, she’s an operative. The one who was tailing her.”
“No,” I correct him. “Mandi is her handler. And if I find her, she’s got a lot to answer for.”
“Well, her brother is meeting with the agency. Do you know what they’re after?”
I gulp the liquid and welcome the burn. I can’t believe this shit. I let her leave. I should’ve known. It was my job to protect her, well . . . in my head. They took her right out from under me. I want their heads. Every single motherfucker who touched her is my target.
“Yeah, but they’ll never get it. I want them all, Frank. I want each and every one of them. Since you were tailing me, did you get photos of them?” He’s good, and if he was watching me, maybe he got their faces.
He grins, pulls a long draw from the bottle. “I’m already running their names. I’ll get you the info tomorrow.”
“Good, I’m going to her place early tomorrow. Maybe she left me a clue.”
We both finish our drinks with a plan to meet in the morning and exchange our new info. I’m also going to have to look into Dominic and Priscilla. Then I’m going to save my girl and make her realize how much she loves me.
Frank said he couldn’t get in, but gaining access to Charlie’s apartment was easy. Clearly, someone wanted me to be able to enter. They must really think I’m stupid.
Once I go inside, I decide to look for what I wanted to anyway: something she left behind to alert us. Her bags sit in the entry, nothing really different that I can tell. Of course, I haven’t been here much, but I pay attention.
I’m sure the file I’m supposed to search for is in her scary ass office, and in all honesty, I do know where. When she went all panic room on me before, she had it hidden in a trap beneath the floor. Unless I pull up floorboards, though, there’s no way I’m grabbing it.
I go through her bedroom, but it feels like an intrusion. Still, I need to see if she left me anything. At first glance, there’s nothing, but by the garbage there’s one small scrap of paper. Considering this place is like a museum, it could be something.
In my hand sits a handwritten note that says, “Just us.”
My mind flashes to the vineyard and all we had there. The way we made love over and over again, saying it was just us. This has to mean something. Charlie doesn’t do anything by accident. That has to be a clue she left for me. It could mean anything, though. I want to scream at her that if she wants me to follow her trail . . . I need a little more to go on. Whatever it means, it’s a clue that she wants something to be between us.
My phone rings. Perfect, it’s Frank.
“Frank, find anything?”
“You need to get out of there.”
“What?” I ask as I acquaint myself with her place.
“Mark, I’m telling you, something is wrong. You need to get out of there. Wherever they have her, we’re not going to find it, and this is going to take some serious work to get to her.”
I don’t care. I hope they come in, because they’ll never get the info. I’ll keep everything between just us. “Sorry, dude. Giants are about to play.”
“Don’t be an idiot,” he warns.
“Too late.” I hang up and turn the phone off.
They’ve got her, and I’m going to have them bring me to her. It’s the only way.
So, I head into the living room, throw my feet up and put the game on.
I give them five minutes.
The door flies open before the next snap happens.
“Did you think we were kidding?”
“Did you forget my requirements? Would you mind grabbing me a beer?” I ask. “No?” I’m pushing every button, but if this prick puts a hand on me, I’ll snap his neck. I get up, walk to the fridge, grab the beer. “You should grab a seat. No proof of life, and I’m not even looking around. Redskins versus the Giants, it should be a good game. My money is on the Giants, though.” I head back to the couch.
“I underestimated you,” Agent Smith says with a hint of awe. I don’t blame him, I surprise myself sometimes.
“Seems to be a CIA flaw.” I pop the top.
He heads over to the chair next to me. “You were supposed to make this easy. Get me the file, save me the trouble of destroying everything here, and then you get her back.”
“Well, where’s my video? Phone call? Besides, if Charlie told you anything, it’s that I never make anything easy.” I smirk and turn my attention back to the game.
“You don’t seem to understand the gravity of the situation. I will beat her within an inch of her life. Then the only proof you’ll have is her cold, dead body.”
My body reacts on pure instinct. I surge to my feet, ready to pummel this motherfucker. “If you touch her . . . If she comes back to me in any condition less than the last time I laid eyes on her, you’ll see just how much you underestimated me. Take me to Charlie.”
He looks over toward the window then back to me. “All humans have a flaw. They’re naturally imperfect. It’s my job to find the flaw and scratch it until it bleeds.”
Here we go with this ridiculous monologue again.
“Do you know your flaw, Mr. Dixon?”
“I’m sure you’re just dying to tell me.” I roll my eyes. This guy is a tool.
Agent Smith walks forward, and I stand prepared. He’s about to make his move. I’m ready to ruin his clothes.
“I’m going to enjoy scratching your flaw.”
Instead of him grabbing me like I expect, I hear a zing through the air before something pinches my neck.
Everything goes numb, before it goes black.