Betrayal (57 page)

“I’m not certain this is the time to announce a campaign, Claire.”

“You sound as though you think you have some choice in the matter.”

O’Brien shook his head. “There is no logic in it.”

“No one cares about your logic,” she laughed heartily. “Dimitri was very clear about his expectations.” She sipped her glass of wine and kicked off the heels that had managed to fatigue her feet. “You know who to see about the accounts?”

“I do. I’m not sure that is the best idea now either.”

“Well, it may not be your ideal, Congressman. Doesn’t matter, just do it.”

“What about you? He just sent you back to face your father empty handed, other than a message for me?”

She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “Never said I was empty handed.”

“Care to share?”

“No,” she replied.

“And what if I refuse?”

“It wouldn’t be the first stupid thing you’ve done, but it would be the last,” she smiled.

O’Brien bristled. “Fine. So we are clear…”

Brackett open her eyes and exhaled. She set down her glass and pushed the congressman back into a large chair, straddling him. “Oh, set me straight, Congressman. Please,” she gushed.

“You are not telling me everything.”

“No,” she nipped at his ear, “and you should be glad.”

“Your father…”

She slowly traced his neck with her tongue before placing her lips just above his. “My father will not be a concern to you any longer.”

“Your father concerns everyone, Claire,” he answered with a heavy breath.

“Mm,” she cooed. “Things change,” she whispered and kissed him soundly.

Thursday, May 22
^nd

Alex walked carefully along the railroad tracks until she caught sight of the large abandoned building. She scanned it, considering what it might have looked like in its glory days. Whatever Jon Krause wanted to discuss, it was clear that he was taking every possible precaution. It had taken Alex nearly twenty minutes to traverse the wooded railroad tracks before she finally reached the abandoned station. The façade remained intact, but it was adorned now by a plethora of colorful images and messages. She paced along the cement and looked out at the littered woods below. A faint shuffling ahead captured her attention. She gently moved a large beam of wood aside and entered an expansive room. “This your idea of first class travel?” she goaded the CIA agent.

“See you found it.”

“Yeah, not for lack of looking. What the hell possessed you to choose this place?”

“No one comes here, Alex, save maybe an addict now and then. The woods of Willimantic are hardly the hub of espionage.”

“No, I don’t suppose it is. This is the place time forgot. So, what is it? You find something on that disk?”

Krause sighed. “I found what I expected to find. Matt has it. What I found from Daniels’ computer was more enlightening.”

“Speaking of enlightenment,
Pip
. Why is it that Russ Matthews thinks I should ask you about John’s assassination?”

“Probably because I arranged it,” he answered as a statement of fact.

“What?”

“I think we both know you heard me clearly.”

“What the hell?” Alex felt a fury build within her. “You didn’t think that was pertinent to tell me? Jesus, does Jane know?”

“She has an idea.” Alex rubbed her face with her hands violently. “Before you start making assumptions, Agent Toles, you should now that John was fully aware of the plan. I spoke with him after I made the call.”

“What are you telling me?”

“I’m telling you it was his choice. I planted the chatter that Brady picked up. Secret Service approached him to change exits. He refused.”

“Why? You are telling me he walked knowingly into an ambush. Why?”

Krause nodded. “He had things to protect. With him gone, those things could no longer be used as leverage.”

Alex licked her lips. “Why didn’t you tell me this when you came to me?”

“I would have preferred not to tell you at all,” he admitted.

“Not exactly a great way to engender trust.”

“I have my reasons.”

“I’m sure. What about this Callier?” she asked.

“Give it time, Agent. What exactly did Matthews tell you?”

“Not much actually. Two things I found interesting.”

“Oh?”

Alex turned from him and began to mill about the room. “He told me Sphinx is a person,” she paused for a moment. “He told me they call me the spider.” She turned slowly on her heels to face him. “Now why, I wonder, would anyone feel the need to give me a handle? Just what the hell is going on?”

“You’ve had a sign since you were assigned at the Pentagon, Alex. Anyone considered a potential ally or adversary is given one.”

She chuckled sarcastically. “Why do I think there is more to it than that?”

“Probably because there is. They didn’t deem you Spider for no reason. You’re resourceful and creative.”

She rolled her eyes at his assessment. “Matthews said that there were people who didn’t want me in this. I thought he meant John.” She stopped and regarded the man before her. “That isn’t who he was talking about; was it?”

“No, Alex. A lot of people wanted you kept at bay. You got too close too many times when you were at the NSA. That’s why John supported your move to the FBI. He thought you would be safer. But, I don’t think that is what Matthews was referring to. I think he was talking about your father.”

“What does my father have to do with any of this? He runs a medical supply company.”

“Oh, come on, Alex. You don’t really think O’Brien ran off to your father for some kind of dirt on you just on the spur of the moment? How would he even know to do that?” Alex covered her mouth and shook her head in disbelief. “I didn’t know myself. That is the truth,” Krause continued. “I knew Carecom was a major donor to many of our candidates. I knew he helped navigate the establishment of the accounts and that he donated privately to certain campaigns when asked. He has ties to Callier, to the admiral. Callier let it slip once during your investigation into the Somali gas attack that he asked your father to compel you into a new line of work”

“My father does not make my decisions. How would my father get mixed up in this, Krause? He never even served. For God’s sake he went to Harvard Law School. He’s an Ivy League brat.”

Krause let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t have that answer, but he is. Your father has major contracts with the military, surely you knew that.”

Alex stared at him blankly. She had never taken any interest in her father’s business dealings. As far as she was concerned he ran a successful small business. “I never really paid it much mind.”

Krause nodded his understanding and continued. “The documents on Daniels’ computer….they identified a source, an individual with the means to transport goods safely through customs and even across hostile borders.”

“Sphinx?” Alex asked.

“No. I was not even aware Sphinx was being used as a handle. Until, last night this person was known only as The Broker. In the note that John left me about Dylan, he mentioned The Broker. He had been unable to identify….Alex, The Broker… he’s your father.”

Alex stood frozen in place. “What are you telling me, Krause?”

“It gets worse.”

“Of course it does.”

“The protocols, we interrupted those. But, there is something we didn’t know. There is a shipment...it’s already in process. Looks like it is heading into Northern Africa under the guise of measles vaccinations.”

“And what is it?”

“My best guess?” Alex nodded. “Small pox strain.”

Alex pressed on either side of her forehead forcefully with her fingers, covering her eyes. She let out a rush of breath and shook her head. “My father is involved in this?” Krause kept his gaze focused and unwavering. “Jesus. Why didn’t you tell me, Krause?”

“I told you; I didn’t know.”

“No, you didn’t know he was this ‘Broker’, as you call it. You knew he was involved. Don’t you realize this could put Cassidy and Dylan at even greater risk? You want me to trust you? All these secrets. God.” She pinched the bridge of her nose again and took a deep breath. “Between your secrets and my father’s lies…”

Krause moved closer and looked directly at Alex. He softened his voice slightly and hoped that she would hear the truthfulness in what he was about to say. “Listen to me. I would never put Cassidy or Dylan, for that matter, in danger. Not ever.” Alex did believe that, but she had no intention of ceding her ground. He needed to understand that she was his equal. He nodded his understanding of her stance. “Alex, not every lie that is told is done so with malicious intent and not every secret is sinister. You know that. Sometimes we make the best choices we can to prote…”

“Yes, I know. To protect what we love. I do know. I also know that secrets and lies have a way of being discovered. When they are, and trust is broken; we often lose far more than what we sought to protect. You have some loyalty…”

“We all have something to protect in this. All of us. What that is will determine where we fall in this game, that and how far we are willing to go.”

She sighed. “All right,
Pip
. You didn’t call me here just to unveil this epiphany about my father. What is it?”

“I need you to get access to his office. Some of the logs that we were able to trace; the messages to Daniels originated from his home.”

Alex let go a chuckle of disgust. “You might have guessed that I am not speaking with my father.” He raised his brow and Alex shook her head. “Fine. I’ll figure it out. How soon?” He looked at the floor. “Great,” she sighed. “What am I looking for?”

“Cargo container numbers, shipping manifests, I’m not sure exactly, Alex. You’ll know when you see it. It’s slated from Boston. The departure date was unclear, so…”

“I got it. And if I find the information? Then what?”

He shrugged. “We stop it.”

Alex laughed. “Just like that?” Krause shrugged again. “I’ll see what I can find, but I want you to do something for me,” she said.

“What is that?”

“If you want me in this, Krause...you are going to have to start telling me everything. I mean it. No secrets, no lies. You find out from Mr. Callier what you can about my father.”

“That’s it?” he asked.

“No, there is one other thing…”

assidy and Dylan were engaged in a packet of homework when Dylan suddenly looked up to his mother. “Mom?” Cassidy directed her attention to him.