The Operator

Silent, Harmony sipped her coffee, her attention shifting past the glass doors and to the two cars that pulled up and parked, their headlights shining. Each one had four agents in it, clean, armed, and well rested, their suits looking classy in the bright glare of the headlamps. Seeing them, Peri shifted her weight to her other aching foot. “What are they doing? Waiting for God to say go?” Peri asked, and Harmony rubbed her forehead.

“I’m sorry, Peri. You aren’t leaving. Steiner finally understands that the chance of you being taken by Opti and wiped is too great.” She looked up, eyes pained. “I was hoping you’d just . . . accept that. We’ll get Allen back, but you won’t be there.”

“Don’t try to stop me. You’ve only got four beds down in the med facility.”

Fatigue showed in Harmony’s eyes. “Give me a chance to work the system, will you?”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Gaze drifting, Harmony thought for a moment, then caught Peri’s eye and deliberately looked at her bandaged leg. “We’ll get Allen back,” she said deliberately, her gaze rising to Peri’s. “I’m not letting an old white man make me a liar.”

Peri hesitated, getting mixed signals. “When?” she barked. “Tomorrow will be too late.”

“Tomorrow we’ll have intel and backing—”

“Tomorrow he might be dead,” Peri protested, glad everyone was staying back, though she didn’t appreciate the way the agents were circling them, some anxious, some eager. With an irate quickness, she put her foot on the table and rolled her pant leg up to rip her bandage off. Her lips curled upon seeing the bug sandwiched between the layers of gauze. Picking it free, she dropped it into her coffee.

A smile flickered over Harmony and was gone. Tired, Peri sat down and leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. It had been a long time since anyone had fought authority on her behalf. That it had come from someone who had made no bones about disliking her, someone who had survived Michael and come back for her, refusing to leave anyone behind . . .

Damn it, I’m a fool, she thought, but her gut said to trust her, and that was all she had anymore. “I got a call,” she said, head down to hide her moving lips. If Harmony had a bug, she was screwed, but she didn’t think she did. “I know where Michael will be tomorrow, midnight. I’m leaving. Right now. You want to come? I get Allen, you get Michael. Win, win.”

Harmony’s lips were parted when Peri looked up. “You’d still work with me? After I lost my entire team?” she whispered, then leaned back into the cushions, gaze going to the distant men when Peri nodded. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” Harmony said loudly. “I don’t want you in a cell. You can do more good out of it.”

What is she playing at? Peri mused, fighting to keep the confusion off her face when Harmony shook her head.

“Maybe next time,” Peri said as she stood and picked up her bag, not relishing the eight-hour drive ahead of her to Detroit. Maybe she could bum a ride with a trucker and get some sleep.

Calls rang out, and outside, the agents quickly arrayed themselves. Annoyed, Harmony stood.

“Back off! She’s not going anywhere!” Harmony shouted, and Peri spun, fist set to hit flesh when the woman’s hand landed on her shoulder. It never fell as Harmony had jerked back. Peri hesitated, poised on the balls of her feet as Harmony smiled wickedly—suddenly very much awake. “There’re different ways to the same end,” Harmony said, glancing up at the watching cameras. Then softer, “I want Michael, but I can’t get you out of here until we go off high alert. That won’t happen until you’re in a cell. Make it convincing, okay?”

She wants to put me in a cell? Peri’s breath came fast. “You back off,” she threatened, no longer sure she knew what was going on. Was Harmony helping her or not? “Or I’m going to break your nose and then take your building pass.”

Harmony nodded almost imperceptibly. “You know I can’t do that.”

“Well, I can.” Peri threw her bag at her, following it up with a palm thrust.

Pulling her punch at the last moment, Peri stumbled when Harmony shifted sideways, blocking Peri’s strike with one hand and punching out with the other.

The heel of Harmony’s hand connecting with Peri’s wrist was a quick shock, followed by a sharp blow of her second hand with Peri’s middle. Air huffing out, Peri caught her balance and fell back, eyes watering as she struggled to breathe. “Nice,” she wheezed.

“You sure you want to do this at four in the morning?” Harmony asked, her eyes bright.

Behind and around them, bets were being made as the watching agents gave them room. As Peri pulled herself up, her confusion strengthened. It is a ploy, isn’t it? “Very,” Peri said, then feigned a kick, shouting as she launched herself.

Peri’s teeth clenched at the resounding thump of contact, but Harmony didn’t go down. Instead, the woman spun to slam her elbow into Peri’s ear. Head ringing, Peri dropped back, missing her follow-up strike. Harmony was still smiling. Son of a bitch, that hurt, Peri thought, her anger stirring.

Teeth clenched, Peri went at her again, in earnest this time: front kick, front kick, side, and crescent, backing the woman up to a thick pillar. Harmony blocked them all. Her arm had to be numb, and with a resounding cry, Peri kicked her coffee at Harmony, right off the table.