[Colt Information Agency 01.0] Agent Colt: Classified Pride Read online

  As I shut them, the latch fell downward but didn't quite fully catch. Just then Philip walked into the room, with a remote in his hand to turn off the laser sensors. After closing the door to the room, he moved into the bathroom and closed that door as well. Not wanting to be sloppy on my exit I pulled a thin nail file from my bag and ran it through the crack in the window and pushed the window latch all the way down.

  I had no more time to be satisfied with my exit as Philip came out of the bathroom and turned on the main light. I rolled out of view of the window and continued to crabwalk the best I could in my long dress down the lawn while watching the man in the room. Philip turned and walked toward the window.

  I had no other choice now but to fall into the canal to avoid being seen. Rolling over the edge, I caught and held onto the lip so that only my lower body splashed in. It didn't make a too loud of a splash, but holy shit it was cold!

  “Isaiah, please come get me. This water is freezing.”

  “Aww, do you need me, babe?”

  “I need your help, yes.” I hated to egg him on but damn, I already couldn't feel my toes.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Warming up in the back of Alonso's town car, I glared at Isaiah. He had taken forever to get to retrieve me from the canal, and I swear he did it on purpose.

  We had dropped Vaneesa off at the base with my camera and the card with the name and number on it. I had also given her the name of the little girl in the photo to have it on file.

  Currently, we were headed back to the hotel, heat blowing on full blast, me wrapped in Isaiah's suit jacket.

  “You look good in my coat, sweetheart.”

  I took it off and threw it at him.

  “Ugh, you just don't get it! Stop trying,” I said as I pulled my legs up on the seat and wrapped my arms around them.

  He had the decency to be shocked for a split second before getting angry and tossing the coat down next to him.

  “You know what your problem is Tess? You're cold. You have been at this too long, and you've shut everything and everyone out. You have no idea how to have fun, how to enjoy yourself or the company of others. It’s all just business to you. You need to lighten the fuck up before you destroy what little personality you have left.” His raised voice echoed through the car, just as we came to a stop in the underground garage.

  He opened the door and slid out, holding it open for me. I sat stunned for several seconds before unfolding and moving out of the car.

  “Thank you for letting me use your jacket,” I mumbled before I stumbled away, my legs still frozen and stiff.

  I heard the car door slam behind me. I stood there, back straight, willing my blood to flow just enough to make it back to my room. The car vroomed away, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

  After a few moments, I made it to the elevator. Entering the doors, I punched the close door button hard enough to crack a knuckle. Leaning back against the rail, I thought about what Isaiah said. I could be pretty cold-hearted, but he would never understand the pressure I face every day doing what I do.

  If I were to come clean, I'd face a stigma that would increase the pressure on me to perform flawlessly every time. I already held myself to the highest standards, so yeah, sure I come off cold. It's my job.

  But then again, he is my partner. A partner should be comfortable with your secrets, and you with theirs. But I was afraid he would never look at me like a woman again. Which had never seemed important, until now. But he would also doubt my ability to do my job to its fullest potential. He would think of me as a liability.

  I couldn't have that.

  Eventually, I noticed the elevator door had slid open, and wondered how long it had been that way. I pushed myself from the rail and stumbled to the bathroom for a hot bath, flinging my ruined heels into the closet on my way by.

  While relaxing in the tub full of bubbles and hot water, I thought about my career up 'til this point. I currently am well established in the CIA with more missions than I could even count or remember. My calling card was fast, accurate and thorough.

  I guess my desire for precision coupled with my determination to hide my personal life had turned me into a pretty cold person. Socially awkward, zero love life, refusal to open up to anyone lest they learn my secret.

  But what kind of secret was it truly, if I’ve never let myself be that person? I never had a real relationship to draw experience from; I just knew what I was. And it wasn't uncommon for spies to put off relationships altogether for their careers.

  The words that Colonel King left me with came back. Maybe I did need an emotional stabilizer. Thinking back over the last couple of days, I wasn't so sure I was acting as stable as I should be. Having Vaneesa waved in my face as an interest, then yanked back after being revealed as a work partner... I'm sure that had a lot to do with it.

  Maybe Vaneesa's reaction to my not being open about my sexuality is well placed. How does she handle it so well? I'll have to ask her.

  Climbing out of the tub, I grabbed my towel and checked myself out in the mirror. My muscle tone in my upper arms was lessening. I'd have to hit the gym again soon.

  ~

  I was woken with a start as my phone rang next to my ear. Groaning and clutching my head, I grabbed my phone.

  “Hello.”

  “Agent Colt. Good job on Intel retrieval last night.”

  I looked around at the dark room. It was still night as far as I could tell.

  Colonel Lyon's booming voice continued. “I expect your presence at the base in less than an hour.” Click.

  Ugh. I glanced down at my phone. 4:08 am. This guy is a freak. At least Colonel King would give me until mid-morning after late night missions.

  I had slid out of bed before my eyes decided to shut again.

  As I blearily applied a minimal amount of makeup, my one consoling thought was that I would get to drive the Porsche. Pulling my hair back into a bun, I secured it into place with a small band and a pair of aluminum chopsticks. I wondered why we were getting pulled into the base at such an early hour. There must have been something in those pictures I sent back with Vaneesa that just couldn't wait until later. Or maybe I was right about Colonel Lyon being a freak.

  I didn't have long to wait to figure it out. Riding on the high of the fast little sports car I had just raced across town in, I entered base with a bounce in my step. Nobody was in the main lobby, so I made my way into the surveillance room where Lyon had assessed my breaking and entering skills the previous day.

  Colonel Lyon and Vaneesa were at the monitors talking in a low tone; Isaiah sprawled out in a chair next to a metal table piled with files. I almost thought he was asleep, and wouldn't blame him since he had been out as late as I had until I saw his mouth turn into a frown when I walked in.

  Evidently he was still angry with me. As upset about the whole situation as I was, I resolved to fix the problem between him and me as soon as possible. Even if he was a dog, he was still my partner. Things had just gotten out of hand between us, and it needed to be reversed soon if we were to work together still.

  “Tess!” Vaneesa had spoken louder than she had intended to, and was currently blushing profusely. She was adorable.

  “Colonel Lyon, sir. Vaneesa, Isaiah.” I acknowledged everyone in the room, so as not to leave anyone out. Not that it mattered, The Colonel and Isaiah were both ignoring me. Different reasons I'm sure, but I still felt a little awkward. Like a stranger in my own home.

  Vaneesa sensed my discomfort and waved me over. “There were a few tidbits on those pictures from last night. Not a lot, but enough to make some ties.” She began pointing to different screens as I came close. “And here, I think we pinpointed this Roberto guy from the card. I've run hundreds of reverse phone call traces and finally got some connections. He's pretty sneaky, gotta give him credit for that.”

  “Roberto Cavalierri is a local underground arms dealer. Small time, but pays big. It seems your Canadian friend needed cash fast
, so he picked Roberto. My question now is; why did he need that much money?” Lyon spoke without looking up from what he was doing.

  “There are pictures here of business letters with the letterhead of his power company. His company is legit. He has no real personal wealth that we can find, but we've only just begun to dig into his finances. There are several big name investors behind his company, however, so his business future seems secure,” Vaneesa stated as she continued scrolling through the different pictures.

  “So, again, why does he need the money? He had several thousand dollars in his safe in those pictures,” Lyon mused.

  “Several thousand isn't enough to justify a trip from Canada to Italy. He hasn't sold anything yet.” I was sure of it even as I said it. Philip was obviously going to be around for a few days. He hadn't been in any hurry to set a day or time with me on our “business” meeting.

  “So, Colt, guess you're gonna have to get close to this guy. Get to know him. Figure him out. Then let him down. You're pretty good at all that.” Isaiah's bitter tone followed him as he rose from his chair and marched out of the room.

  Stung, I stood there staring after him not knowing what to do.

  “In spite of your partner's bitterness, he is right in that you will need to get close to Philip. Close enough to invade his personal space and life, and dig into his secrets,” Colonel Lyon said, staring at me with his arms crossed. Like he was daring me to say otherwise.

  “I'm not so sure he's interested in me. I do think he’s interested in future business dealings with Henderly Energy Solutions, though.”

  “Then make him interested in you. I don't believe just business transactions are going to get the job done here,” He barked.

  This. This was why coming out never seemed to be the right thing to do. If I told Lyon I was a lesbian, he wouldn't deem me fit to take on such a role. He would possibly think that I would be too uncomfortable to make it happen. It would take forever to get them all to understand that my job is my priority, and no matter what, I get the job done. And done well.

  “Yes, sir. I will set up a meeting with Townsend and get started ASAP,” I replied in a sharp tone, inclining my head in agreement with his orders.

  “Excellent. You are dismissed,” Lyon said before leaving the room.

  Vaneesa had watched us during this exchange, her forehead wrinkling as she took in what Lyon was asking me to do. Maybe even she had doubts about my ability to play this role.

  I'd have to show her what a professional spy like me was capable of.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Setting up a meeting was relatively easy. After I got back to the hotel and finally ate a hasty breakfast, I had Alonso approach the front desk to send a note to Philip's room asking him when would be a good time to meet. It didn’t take long before he sent back a response suggesting a meeting over lunch tomorrow, and in the hotel’s lounge if I did not mind.

  I certainly didn’t mind, especially since Vaneesa had not only placed a couple of bugs in the lounge, she had also tapped into the hotel camera system the night before when she disabled it for my break-in of Philip’s room. Everything would be seen, and as long as we were close enough to the bugs, it would all be heard as well.

  The three of us also decided that it wouldn’t be safe for Isaiah and Vaneesa to be anywhere where they could be spotted, to keep their covers fully separate from mine. However, Jacob would be manning the hotel’s lounge bar that day. That left Vaneesa and Isaiah free to listen in on surveillance, while staged in the garage near the elevator to my room.

  Alonso, of course, would be with me, but discreetly as my paid assistant. He was the only person who could be around me without drawing undue attention. He may not be a special agent, but he sure was useful. After letting Alonso drive me back to base, I found Vaneesa in the surveillance room and told her the arrangements.

  “I’ll go relay all this to Isaiah,” Vaneesa said, rising from her stool. She had been running through a test of all the bugs in the hotel.

  “His don’t-talk-to-me game is getting old already. It feels like grade-school playground tactics.”

  “Well, his feelings are hurt. They may not be hurt for any rational reason, but still...” Vaneesa shrugged.

  “Are you defending him now?” I asked, eyes widening.

  “Absolutely not. Isaiah’s a jerk. But he is your partner. That’s not going to change anytime soon. Just maybe… maybe make it easier on yourself and tell him?”

  Vaneesa bit her lip. I knew what she was asking wasn’t easy for her to say, and most definitely not what I wanted to hear. I was a bit surprised at her defense of Isaiah, but I understood.

  She brushed her fingers down my arm. “If we hadn’t met on the plane as strangers and shared our stories, would you have even told me?” Vaneesa’s voice came out just a shaky whisper.

  I sat there stunned into silence. Would I have? No, I wouldn’t. And I would be even more miserable knowing that such an incredible person was there right in front of me, working next to me every day, and I would be too scared to tell her about myself. Vaneesa would have been yet another person I held at arms-length to protect my secret and my career.

  Vaneesa reached over and hugged me from behind. Since I was still sitting on the stool next to her, all I could do was grab hold of her hands as they wrapped around me.

  “I think that this is all one big sign, Tess. Our meeting wasn’t by chance; it was by design. Now I’m not talking love at first sight or fate or anything crazy like that. But I am thinking it’s time for you to let go a little.” Her short but to the point speech finished, she kissed me on the top of my head, let go and walked away in search of my partner.

  Sitting there in the fuzzy after effects of her warm embrace, I thought about what she’d said. In only a couple of days, I had met and gained a great friend. She slid into my life as naturally as water and had shown me nothing but kindness and love even though I had let her down. Maybe I was just a cold person like Isaiah said. My job had its claws dug deep into me, and I had let it happen.

  Sighing, I stood up. Nothing to do about it right now. I needed to prepare for my meeting tomorrow. Henderly Energy Solutions had to sound well represented, and I wanted to make sure I remembered everything from my previous cover to use for this. On top of that, getting myself psyched up for subtle flirting and passionate lead-ins would take some work. To do that well, digging into Philip’s background and interests was going to be important.

  I was figuratively elbow-deep in information when Isaiah entered the surveillance room a couple of hours later. He had a folder in his hand that he sat down on the counter across from me.

  “What’s this?” I asked, curious. Isaiah wasn’t precisely an intelligence sort, so the thick folder and wrinkle on his brow had thrown me off.

  “This is information I dug up on Roberto Cavalierri. He’s a street thug, albeit an underground one. But he’s dangerous, Tess. And as your partner, I am responsible for your safety in these kinds of missions. Usually, I’m briefed on this type of information, but I dug this up since I have so much free time right now.” He sat down on Vaneesa’s abandoned stool and gestured for me to open it.

  After a quick moment of humility over my partner’s seemingly genuine concern, I flipped open the folder to see pictures of dead bodies. A couple dozen of them. All killed in different ways; gunshot, drowning, hanging. This guy Cavalierri wasn’t just dangerous; he was sadistic. And while it seemed the local authorities had pointed fingers at this lowlife for the deaths of the people pictured, no one had been able to bring him down. Maybe they were too scared to.

  “Thank you for this, Isaiah. I wouldn’t have known what I’m getting into without this.” I looked up from the folder to find him staring at me.

  “Yeah, well, like I said it’s my job to protect you. And maybe, you know, I go overboard with it sometimes.” My partner muttered the last part under his breath, but I still heard him before he stood up and walked out of the room
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br />   There’s the guilty feeling again. Maybe I wasn't the only one being overly guarded. In our line of work, it was pretty common to shut yourself off. Isaiah always seemed to have a good grip on his self, but then again, maybe his flirtatious and womanizing ways were all a facade he put up to help him deal with the stress.

  I guess some day I will just have to sit down and force myself to talk to him about all these things. Maybe even open up.

  Someday.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Tess. Tess! Are you paying attention here?”

  Startled, I peered down at Vaneesa, standing with her hands on her hips and a small scowl on her face. Her down-turned lips gave her a teeny dimple on her chin that made me smile.

  “This pendant, it's got a transmitter in it to record the entire conversation. I didn't want to leave the whole job to the bugs around the room, so you need to wear this, okay?”

  The pendant she held was gorgeous. Pale moonstone with tiny veins that sparkled in the light hung from a thick, rounded gold chain to support the stone hanging from it. Vaneesa held it up in a gesture that meant she wanted to put it on me.

  I obliged by lowering my head so she could place it over and around my neck. When I straightened, the stone fell against my white silk shirt, settling between my breasts. Running my fingers over the stone, I turned it over and could see nothing that marked it as a comms unit.

  “This is beautiful and well made! I had no idea we had anything like this at the base.”

  “We didn't, and still don't. This is my gift to you; nobody else knows about it. Better that way so no attention gets drawn to it while you are in the field,” Vaneesa said as she reached back up to straighten the chain, sliding the clasp around to the back of my neck. Her fingers lingered there, cool against my hot skin.

  Just then the door of the elevator opened and out stepped Alonso.