Chapter Five
Grady had already walked the property’s perimeter, surveying the area for likely avenues of approach for threats along with making liaison with the special security firm he’d called in for extra protection. There was no immediate danger and he hadn’t spotted any overtly obvious team members who should have moved into the area a few hours ago, but then again he hadn’t expected to see any amateur bullshit.
Gavin Crest ran a tight unit over at Crest Security Agency, hiring only the best of the best from former military operators to men and women who had sharpened their skills in other paramilitary black ops teams serving the intelligence agencies. His old friend would see to it that Grady and Brienne could actually sleep tonight without fear of waking up with a gun in their face.
“I don’t like delaying the inevitable,” Brienne said tersely, taking the spatula and turning over the omelets in the large frying pan. She had already showered and changed into the pair of jeans and white T-shirt that had been in the bag Connor Ortega had given Grady. He’d been the first of CSA’s agents to land on the ground, supplying Grady with what he would need over the course of the next few days. “We know it’s someone on the inside. We should head back to D.C. and—”
“We’re not going anywhere while your name is on the ISI’s hit list. Apparently, they have moved a group of their own operators into Washington to finish the job.” Grady understood the need to feel like he was contributing, but he’d learned a long time ago that some things were better handled when delegated to those who were more practiced at that particular skillset. Brienne needed to step back while those with that demonstrated capability got the job done. “We’re staying put until we have enough information to confirm the identity of the leak, as well as possibly fix your long-term predicament.”
Grady didn’t blink when Brienne shot him a disbelieving look at the last part of his declaration. She reached across the stove and turned the dial with a little more force than necessary. She was sure there was some way to find a resolution to her career-ending problem. Her future ability to work at the Company after a fuckup of this magnitude was going to be difficult to overcome, but she didn’t like going outside of her comfort zone by allowing someone else to do her own work.
Grady reached into the cupboard for what he was searching for, noticing Brienne’s hair was still slightly damp from her shower. Her blonde hair had always curled into loose waves if she didn’t immediately blow the strands dry. He personally liked it this way, loving the natural beauty as well as the silky texture when he ran his fingers through the tresses. She wouldn’t appreciate the gesture now, so he refrained from reaching out to her.
“What if we—”
“Arguing won’t change the fact that we have a few days to ourselves. Besides, we have things to discuss that affect our future.” Grady finally set two glasses of ice on the small table overlooking the ocean. They’d closed the colorless blinds, but they could still hear the distant thunder of the waves crashing against the sandbar to only then dissolve as the tide pulled the water back into its endless void. His soul could relate to the infinite abyss, but maybe it was time to replenish it. “Unless, of course, it’s too late.”
Grady continued setting the table, not willing to let this slide when they didn’t know what tomorrow would bring. The light noises Brienne had been making in the kitchen had gone relatively silent, but she’d yet to confirm his last statement. At least she’d acted as if she was willing to work with him.
“Let’s eat before—”
“We lose our appetite?” Brienne said wryly, slipping one of the omelets onto the plate Grady had set down on his side before she did the same to hers. This place wasn’t the most well-stocked safe house, but the kitchen had enough ingredients to keep them from starving. “That’s already been accomplished.”
“Eat anyway,” Grady instructed firmly, taking the frying pan and spatula from her hands. He motioned for her to take a seat while he placed the items in the sink and retrieved the pitcher of sweet tea from the refrigerator. He then joined her at the table, filling both of their glasses. “The first rule in a situation like this is to eat when you can and sleep if time allows. Walk me through the scenario of what you think happened.”
Brienne’s shoulders gave way a bit, telling him that she thought he’d want to talk about them over their meal. He did, but it wasn’t the type of conversation one could have while eating. They had too much at stake to discuss it as if they were talking about the weather and he would wait until they were more comfortable, thus giving her more time to acclimate to the fact that they needed to discuss Madison. He wasn’t sure he was ready. She was a part of him that was no longer here. That part of him was gone forever. That was a very hard concept to put into words.
“The Pakistani source I acquired was when I was a subordinate. The chief liaison officer was training me in the art of pulling together informants in specific demographics the Agency had been targeting. I managed to excel in that area and we were able to gather rather detailed information regarding the ISI from an insider.” Brienne picked up her fork, but had yet to take a bite of the omelet she’d made. Grady looked pointedly at her food, not wanting her to get so caught up in her theories that she didn’t eat. They paused long enough to make a dent in their meal before she continued, finally making the connections he’d only speculated on. “I had given this woman’s contact information to the chief of mission. I haven’t been inside Pakistan in a couple of years, my current assignments being elsewhere in the latest Iraq and Afghanistan wars. It was only recently that my informant reached out to me through one of the cultural attaché connections at the embassy. We were reconnected and then told about the possibility of locating the remains of the former Red Starr HRT’s unit.”
“Who was privy to your most recent conversation?” Grady asked, taking a sip of the sweet tea. He studied Brienne over the rim of his glass, her blue eyes darkening in determination to discover who had betrayed her so recklessly. Who was willing to throw his or her life down the drain by committing treason by betraying a fellow American Intelligence Agent? “Telfer, obviously. Anyone else?”
Grady didn’t want to believe that an SSA of Telfer’s standing would ever divulge the identities of his subordinate agents beneath him, but there had been far more devastating treason than that within the Agency over the years. There would have to be a money trail, which was why Grady had brought in CSA. Gavin Crest had just as many avenues to pursue those leads, but without the hindrance of being hunted.
“Samuel Frye, Connor Vaupel, and Chloe Hammond are the agents I worked most closely with, along with Gus Wilson and Bob Jensen. Pretty much the entire desk, along with the supporting analysis staff,” Brienne disclosed with a frown, lowering her fork after eating only half of what had been on her plate. She pushed it away, sitting back after she’d picked up her glass of iced tea. “I need access to the SCIF. There has to be a data trail to follow. We should head back to D.C. and—”
“I already told you that was out of the question.” Grady finished his meal, unable to give Brienne what she wanted. “The ISI will be watching every single location you might decide to show your face, and that includes all the roads leading into Langley. You’re not going anywhere near D.C. until we can confirm the leak’s identity and how to go about minimizing the damage. Your name is out there on the wind. Nothing can change that, but we can target the ISI in ways to shut down their team and prevent another physical attack.”
“Which coincides with Red Starr and Starr’s inquiry,” Brienne surmised, looking off into space as she continued to process the reasoning behind such an assault. “Why is it that the ISI doesn’t want us to have knowledge of the location of Brendan O’Neill and his team’s remains?”
“Numerous motives come to mind, such as the fact that maybe it wasn’t rebel insurgents who attacked the Red Starr team.” Grady started to clear the table, motioning that Brienne should stay where she was. This wasn’t uncommon, seeing as they used to confer with each other on numerous assignments. Having another viewpoint was an advantage. He didn’t want to lose this, but that meant making changes he wasn’t so comfortable with. “It appeared to be cut and dry, but it might be that something more is in play with what your informant has stirred up.”
“You think the ISI were the ones to attack Red Starr’s infiltration route?” Brienne asked, setting her empty glass on the table. She was biting her lip in thought as she slouched in her chair the way she was prone to do after a meal in the privacy of one of their apartments, crossing her arms in what looked like a petulant manner. It wasn’t. He couldn’t prevent a half smile at the habit that had been formed long ago. “What would they have to gain by eliminating a government contracted paramilitary hostage rescue team inside Pakistan who had ISI-supported intelligence about the terrain and local factions? I recall the hostages being with a mission group from the United States, so there shouldn’t have been any opposition from the Pakistani government or the ISI.”
“Have you considered the possibility that the missionaries weren’t taken by a group of insurgents, but instead the ISI had a part in it or were supporting the faction that did?” Grady set their plates into the sink. He didn’t return to the table, but instead walked the open layout of the small beach house to the living room. It was a better location to have the upcoming conversation he’d been waiting for. “It’s the only logical explanation for why the ISI would want to silence your inquiry.”
Brienne didn’t reply right away, which had Grady looking over the couch to see that she was still seated at the table. She was regarding him with wariness, her blue eyes tapered in the corners and deep in thought. Her blonde hair was wild with untamed waves falling around her shoulders and the beautiful sight before him was something he wanted to see for many years to come.
“Cairo is off the table now that your identity has been compromised and your Agency association has been revealed,” Grady said, starting down the path that was sure to be a maze of flickering, dangerous flames. He could handle the heat, so he forged ahead. “Does that change things for us in the near term?”
“You tell me, Grady.” Brienne uncrossed her arms and stood, taking her time as she slowly made her way around the couch to join him. Her chin was tilted up in a way that told him she wasn’t going to take any prisoners. That was good, because neither was he. “Is there any room in your life for someone other than Madison’s ghost and a house full of reminders of your life together?”