Deep Cover, page 28
"Not really. Oh wait. Yes I did. Dennis is getting reassigned to Strategic Ops."
Snorting, Shelby said, "You've gotta be kidding me!"
Maggie grinned. "That's what I thought, too, but it's true."
Since Maggie was now in full gossip mode, Shelby decided it was the right time to plant her own rumor. "Hey, guess what I heard?"
Looking at Shelby, surprised, Maggie asked, "What?"
"You remember when you told me Blue was at headquarters?" When Maggie nodded, Shelby continued, "Jet and Silver are here now, too."
Maggie sucked in a breath. "No kidding. Wonder why?"
"I don't know, but it seems funny all three of those operatives would be here at the same time. Must be something big getting ready to go down. We'll probably never know, though."
Trying not to appear too interested, Maggie nodded. "You're right, but I'm still going to put out some feelers. If I find out anything, I'll let you know."
Shelby smiled. "Thanks. You always hear a lot more than I do."
"That's because you hardly ever leave your office."
Shrugging, Shelby said, "I know, but Dennis has really been piling on the work."
Maggie nodded knowingly. "Well, I'm sure glad I don't work for him."
"You're lucky. Speaking of which, I'd better get back. See you later."
"Okay." Maggie watched Shelby walk back to her office, uneasy about the fact that three wet operatives had been recalled at the same time. She wouldn't be able to go straight home tonight after all.
* * *
Kris took one last look around the apartment. It was apparent that Maggie was used to living luxuriously. All the furnishings and electronic equipment were top quality and the computer sitting in the spare bedroom was a brand new Dell. The operative snorted derisively. The woman was obviously being well paid for her information, but she hadn't even bothered to have a security system installed. Not that it would have stopped any agent from getting in, but it would've taken a few extra minutes.
Satisfied with the placement of the bugs, she glanced at her watch and hurriedly left the apartment. It had taken her longer to get to Maggie's than she'd intended because the traitor's apartment was not easily accessible from the beltway, so she had taken the slower main thoroughfares and would be returning the same way. She had no intentions of worrying her partner unnecessarily, and was going to have to hustle to get back within the hour she'd allotted.
* * *
The operative sat in the car impatiently tapping her fingers on the wide bar across the center of the steering wheel. "At this rate, we'll never beat her to the drop."
Reaching over and laying her hand on the tall woman's leg, Shelby said, "Hey, relax a little. She probably comes this way, too, and she doesn't even leave work for another half hour."
Kris forced herself to relax. Shelby was right. It just seemed that everything was working against them today. Normally, it only took 25 minutes to reach Georgetown on the beltway, even in rush hour traffic, but today they hadn't crawled above 10 mph. Kris sighed inwardly. The gridlock wasn't likely to improve until they exited the highway, because the traffic bulletin on the radio had indicated that the accident was just this side of their exit. "The camera's all set?"
Shelby gently squeezed the leg her hand was resting on. "Yep. New roll of film, and I've got such a high powered lens it should pick up her nose hairs. But you knew that already."
Kris quickly glanced at Shelby and found herself finally relaxing as she returned the warm grin directed at her. "Busted, huh?"
"Yep. Just think, by the end of the evening, we'll have everything we need on Maggie and on Michael, too, I betcha."
"I hope so, because we're running out of time. I've got to contact Sergei and set up a meet. I'm just wondering what kind of double-cross he has set up. He's not going to just walk away happy."
A cold chill ran down Shelby's back. "Are you saying..."
"I'm just saying that I don't trust him. We've got to be prepared for anything."
Shelby glanced away, her thoughts turbulent. While she wanted an end to this, the analyst knew the possibility of disaster was all too real, and any resolution had the very real potential to separate her and Kris, perhaps forever. There were just so many chance variables. Sergei could kill Kris' mother, the operative could be arrested once she came clean with Earl, the meet could end up being a setup, with Kris the target or... her thoughts trailed off, unwilling to process the last image. Not one of these scenarios was acceptable, some even less so than others. Shelby was finding it harder and harder to lend positive support in what seemed more and more like a no-win situation.
Wondering why her partner had become so quiet, Kris glanced at Shelby and was only able to see a side view of her face as she gazed out the window. What she saw hit her hard. The analyst's countenance was a mixture of worry, sadness and fear. The woman who had become her rock needed some support, and she'd been too immersed in the case today to even see that. She finished formulating her strategy and decided to bounce it off Shelby. It might ease some of her concern. It was chock full of holes, but it was the best she'd been able to come up with.
"Shelby."
"Humm?" Taking a moment to make sure her face didn't reflect her doubts, Shelby briefly met the blue eyes before they turned back to the road.
"You're worried, aren't you?"
Shelby rolled her eyes. "Uh, duh? Aren't you?"
"Yeah." Kris reached over and linked her fingers with Shelby's. "But I think we've got a good chance to pull this off, too. If we get everything we need tonight, I'm gonna call Sergei tomorrow and set up a meet on Sunday. Once that's firmed up, I'll call Earl and arrange for a team to be at whatever location Sergei names."
Shelby gazed at the now confident expression on her partner's face. "You make it sound so simple and it's not. What if Sergei doesn't bring your mother along? And even if he does, how are you going to get her out of there without Earl knowing about her?"
Kris shrugged. "I'll tell Sergei there is no negotiating - I see my mother or he doesn't get the password. He'll go for it because he doesn't have a choice. Besides, he thinks he's in the driver's seat, and in a normal situation, he'd be right. Who could I turn to?" Squeezing, Shelby's hand, she continued, "He didn't count on you. And that's why we'll win."
The confident words and reassuring contact grounded Shelby, and she suddenly felt her confidence and optimism take a skyward leap. "What about your mother?"
"After I go inside, you bring the car around to the back of the house. Once I signal Earl's team, I'll get my mother to the rear of the house and once you and Mom are safe, I'll turn myself in."
"No!"
The operative's brow furrowed, surprised at the vehement response. "What do you mean, no?"
"That won't work. You've got to meet Earl ahead of time and tell him the truth. We do it your way, and you don't have anything left to bargain with. They'll already have Sergei."
"Yeah, but they can't prove he's Sergei. They need my testimony to do that."
Shelby shook her head in disagreement. "Maybe. But that's not good enough. What if they just haul in some of the men that he has with him? Wouldn't be the first time they ignored diplomatic immunity when they suspected someone of being a spy."
Kris carefully considered Shelby's words. She knew her plan wasn't perfect, and her partner's concern was valid. If the Company got what they needed at the time of the bust, she would lose her advantage in the bargaining process. And if she lost that, she could lose everything she was fighting for.
The operative sighed and ran a hand through her hair, glad they'd finally inched their way to the exit. "You're right. I'll have to set up a time to meet with Earl and explain it all to him." Kris gazed at Shelby momentarily before turning her attention back to the road. "You do know that he might ask me to surrender to him right then and there?"
"He could, but I don't think he will. You said you trusted Earl. I've got a feeling he trusts you, too. Even if he did want to take you into custody, all you'd have to do is tell him that my safety would be jeopardized." Shelby gazed into Kris' eyes. "And it would be, so you convince him, okay?"
Kris took a steadying breath at the implications of the frank statement. "He'll agree. Or he'll wake up with a big headache after I leave."
"I'm going with you and waiting in the car."
One look at the determined expression on her partner's face, and Kris swallowed her protest. "Okay."
Shelby hid her surprise, pleased at the easy victory. "Good. Now let’s go catch some spies."
Kris raised her eyebrows, and shook her head as she drove slowly through the congested Washington streets.
* * *
Shelby could see her partner growing more restless with each passing minute. They'd been sitting in the car for over an hour and a half and Maggie still hadn't appeared. All talked out about the case and their plans, she searched for a light topic. "If you could live anywhere you wanted to, where would you go?"
Raising an eyebrow at the off the wall question, Kris quirked a half smile. "That's easy. Wherever you were."
"I was being serious," Shelby protested, though pleased by her partner's answer.
"So was I." Kris met Shelby's eyes and held them for a moment before returning her gaze to their surroundings. "I don't care where I live if I'm with you. If you're happy, I'll be happy. That's what's important to me, not where we are."
Shelby basked in the warmth generated by the words, and a silly grin appeared on her face. "I never knew you were a such a romantic."
Kris could feel the blood rushing to her face and she glanced away. A romantic? Me? No way! Let's be honest here. Maybe a little where Shelby's concerned.
The blond woman cleared her throat, smiling warmly when Kris faced her. "That's not a bad thing. But don't worry. I won't tell anyone."
Kris shrugged, feigning indifference. "Wouldn't matter anyway. No one would believe you."
"Humm...you don't think so?" Her eyes dancing mischievously, Shelby said, "Want to place a wager on that?"
"No!"
Shelby nodded. "Don't worry, sweetheart, your secret's safe with me." She chuckled when Kris' face reddened again, but her merriment died abruptly when Kris spoke.
"There she is." Kris inclined her head towards the right side of the street they were facing. "See the guy in the gray jogging suit? Right behind him."
The analyst already had the camera up and was snapping off shots as she tracked the woman down the street. Her skill would be sorely tested because she had to have a shot of Maggie making the actual drop in the blind man's cauldron.
Kris listened to the whir of the camera as her partner fired off shot after shot until Maggie had made the drop and disappeared from sight. She waited for fifteen minutes to ensure Maggie had completely left the area, then turned to Shelby.
"Come on. Let's go get it."
Shelby walked nonchalantly along with Kris as they stopped momentarily along the street to gaze into shop windows. She was fully aware that the operative stayed between her and the street and blocked her body with her taller one when they stopped at each storefront. It was a very comforting feeling.
Blue leaned over the blind man sitting on the ground, watching as Shelby walked behind him, looking for the hidden container. "Looks like you had a good day. People must be feeling generous."
The man nodded. "Yes. Perhaps you, too, would help a blind man."
The operative nodded. "Sure," and dropped some coins into the metal cup on the ground next to him.
In a lightning fast move, he grabbed Shelby's arm just as she retrieved the small microfiche container, but he froze when the cool, hard metal of a gun's bore pressed against his neck, and the sound of a round being chambered dominated his senses.
Blue growled, "Let go of her arm." With her jacket loosely draped over her arm and weapon, she was carefully shielding the gun from casual onlookers.
He wasted no time, immediately releasing the slender arm. "Please, they will kill me."
"No they won't. Because the only way they know there was a drop is if you tell them. But I would suggest you find another way to supplement your income."
The man's head bobbed up and down. "Yes, yes, I will do that."
Kris removed her weapon from his throat, glancing around to make sure no one was watching them. "Good. You'll live a lot longer if you do."
She nodded to Shelby and they began retracing their steps back to the car. Once they departed the area, the analyst asked, "Now on to Maggie's?"
"Yeah, but let's stop at the Burger King drive through along the way. You've gotta be hungry, I know I am."
"I am hungry." Shelby was actually starved, but she didn't want Kris' concern for her to jeopardize getting the information they needed. "You sure we have time?"
Kris smiled reassuringly. "When the phone tap or bugs are activated, they automatically send signals to a remote tape recorder I hid outside her apartment. We won't miss anything. I just want to make sure we're there when Michael arrives. Pictures are worth a thousand words."
"So why did you bring that little tape recorder if it's already being recorded. In case someone finds the other one?"
"Partly, but also in case of a malfunction. I don't want to take any chances."
Shelby nodded in agreement and shifted in her seat. Lately it seemed like she was spending most of her life in a car. She'd be glad when the repairs to her own car were finished. It was a lot more comfortable than this rental was.
She rewound the roll of film in the camera, then carefully removed it, secured it in the plastic container, and placed it in her purse. She'd shot off 20 pictures, and needed a new roll for Michael at a faster speed. It would most likely be at least dusk, if not dark, by the time he appeared, if he showed at all.
* * *
Following a shortcut Shelby suggested to bypass most of the busier main thoroughfares, a short time later the two women parked in a congested area of the parking lot of the apartment complex where Maggie lived.
Shelby was leaning against the car door, and straightened when the tape recorder came to life. Listening to it, she looked at Kris and gave her a thumbs up. "Bingo!"
The operative grinned at the happy smile on her partner's face. Maggie had called Michael and he was due over within a half-hour. "Might be able to get an early night in after all. We leave once she tells him. No sense hanging around here and taking a chance on being spotted."
"Yes! Am I ever ready to get out of this car." Shelby lifted up in her seat, and murmured, "My poor butt!"
"Aw. You want me to kiss it and make it better." Kris laughed quietly at the startled expression on Shelby's face.
Recovering quickly, the analyst teased, "Well, I can think of places I'd rather have you kiss, but if that's what turns you on..."
Kris purred, "Oh honey, everything about you turns me on."
The seductive tone of voice had its desired effect and Shelby flushed, complaining, "You are a tease!"
Kris' face was the epitome of innocence. "Moi?"
"Okay, Ms. Innocent. Paybacks are a bitch."
At the unintentional double meaning, the operative trapped a guffaw in her throat, but couldn't stop the snort accompanying it. Ms. Innocent? Nothing could be further from the truth.
Shelby chuckled. "Just wait, you'll see."
"I'm..." Kris stopped, suddenly all business. "He's here already. He's coming from the same direction he did last time. You ready?"
The analyst had automatically reached for the camera the moment her partner's expression changed and it was now in position and focused on the tall man walking up the sidewalk. She snapped away, hoping to catch Maggie on film when the door opened.
She set the camera down after Michael entered the apartment and closed the door. Shelby glanced at Kris. "I got the apartment number and I might have gotten a clear shot of Maggie. We'll have to wait and see."
Kris reached over and squeezed Shelby's hand. "Good job."
They didn't have long to wait before Maggie relayed the information Shelby had fed her. Kris started the car. "The other tape player will pick up anything else they talk about. But we've got them cold with what we've got right here."
Shelby nodded in agreement. "Too bad it's too late to take the film to the one hour developing at Wal-Mart. I don't want to take a chance on just dropping it off. I'm not letting it out of my sight."
"We can take in tomorrow morning." Kris placed her hand on the smaller one resting on her thigh. "Thanks."
"You're welcome, but just remember - I've got a personal stake in this." Shelby glanced at Kris and smiled. "You."
Kris didn't answer, but wrapped her hand around the one beneath hers, knowing Shelby would understand her feelings.
"I'm going to call Earl when we get back to the apartment and set up a time to meet with him tomorrow, too. I'll wait to see how that goes before calling Sergei."
"Sounds good. I'll just be glad when this is all over."
Sighing, Kris said, "You and me, both."
A short time later, they were sitting on the couch unwinding after the long day and lavishing attention on Stormy.
Shelby glanced over at Kris, her eyes faraway and dreamy. "I wonder what it would be like if we were just two normal people who met someplace and were attracted and fell in love? Like maybe while we were on vacation or something, and we got to do fun tourist things. And we moved in together, and there were no people shooting at us, or spies after us. If I didn't work for the CIA, and you didn't...you know..."
Kris raised an eyebrow, and smiled. "If everything works out, I won't be doing any more...you know." Turning thoughtful, Kris said, "I guess I never thought of that because nothing about my life has been normal for so long." If we get out of this, I'll take you on that vacation.
Shelby's expression turned puzzled. "What will you do? What do you want to do?"
Kris shrugged. "I don't know. I like electronics and computers, and I've always been amazed at how easy it is to crack any security system I've come up against. I've often entertained the idea of developing one that can't be easily breached and then marketing it. It would be a lucrative business because I know the weaknesses of most of the others on the market."
