Betrayal (58 page)

“What, Dylan?” Dylan kept his eyes focused on his finger as it made swirling patterns across the kitchen table. “Dylan?”

“When you and Alex get married,” he stopped and shook his small head.

“Dylan, what is it?” He shrugged. “You can tell me, sweetie.”

He kept his eyes down and shrugged again. “Well, Cat gets to carry your rings and Uncle Nick will be with Alex. I have to sit with Grandma.”

“What do you want to do?” He shrugged again. “I see.” She lowered herself to her knees in front of him and brushed a tear from his cheek. “Dylan,” she sighed. “Do you want to stand with Alex?” He would not meet her gaze and began tugging at his bottom lip. “Mm-hmm; why didn’t you just tell me that, sweetheart?” Another shrug prompted Cassidy to envelop him in her arms. “You were afraid you would hurt my feelings?” She felt his affirmative nod against her as his tears broke forth. “Oh, Dylan…it makes me very happy that you love Alex so much. I would love for you to walk with me, but I understand if you want to be with Alex.”

“But I do want to be with you, Mom.”

Cassidy sighed. “I know you do. It gets complicated, huh? Listen, I don’t want you to worry about this, okay?” He looked up to his mother a bit sheepishly. “We’ll work it all out. I
promise. All that matters to me is that I have you and Alex. If it was just the three of us there I would be happy.” She kissed him on the forehead and wiped his remaining tears. “I love you more than anything Dylan. All that matters to me is that you are happy. Okay?” He nodded. “So, you let me worry about this. I promise we will make it all work somehow.” She ruffled his hair slightly. “What do you say you and I go grab a pizza together? Alex will be home late. Just you and me.”

“I have to finish my math,” he reminded her.

“Yes, you do. How about this?” Dylan looked at his mother hopefully. “You work on that and I will go order us a pizza. That way it will be here by the time you are done. Then, maybe I will let you show me what YaYa taught you on that pool table.” Dylan’s eyes grew wide. “Mm-hmm. Mothers have a way of finding these things out,” she winked. His small mouth flew open wide. “Oh, don’t worry,” she assured him. “Your secret is safe with me.” Relieved, he cast his eyes back on his homework. Cassidy shook her head in amusement as she watched him. He was truly the light in her world. She’d meant what she had said. For Cassidy, all any wedding needed to consist of were the two people who mattered most to her. She had suggested a ceremony at Nick’s restaurant because she knew the sentiment would mean a great deal to Alex. It never occurred to her that Dylan might feel torn between them. She was certain Alex had not entertained that notion either. Dylan’s need to be close to Alex reaffirmed what she knew; they were already a family.

Alex took a seat at a small table in the corner of the café and ordered a cappuccino. She stretched her neck from side to side, attempting to relieve her tension. A waitress appeared and placed two napkins on the table, sliding one slightly forward before placing the agent’s drink on the other. “If you need anything else.”

“I will let you know,” Alex answered. She retrieved the cup and casually took a sip before turning over the napkin closest to her. She continued toying with the napkin, sipping her cappuccino for several more minutes until the waitress returned.

“Anything else?” the waitress asked.

“Yes, another one. To go please, and the check.” The waitress nodded her understanding. Within a few moments she returned and placed a covered cup and the check on the table. Alex laid down a ten dollar bill and wrapped the coffee cup in the napkin she had been fiddling with. She made the short trek to her car, throwing the small package she was carrying into the first garbage can she passed. Reaching her car, she signaled a left into traffic and followed the street for several blocks before pulling into the parking lot of Fast-Go Dry Cleaners. She rolled her eyes slightly and opened the door. “Picking up,” she said. The small dark skinned man behind the counter gestured to a door on her left. She nodded her understanding. “I really hope you got all the wrinkles out,” Alex remarked sarcastically.

“A few at least,” a voice answered.

“It’s hotter than hell back here. What is this all about Taylor?”

“I thought it best we take care. What happened with Krause?”

Alex rubbed her brow. “Lots. What did you find out about my father?”

“Not much. Carecom is like every other company. There have been no red flags that sent the NSA into overdrive. Political contributions are typical.”

“Yeah, well…that may be, but there’s more to it.”

“Probably,” he admitted. “You actually trust Krause? Alex, the man…”

Alex folded her hands and brought her thumbs to her temples. She needed to make a decision. How far should she let her old friend Michael Taylor in? Given all she now had learned, was it possible that Taylor was not completely truthful about his
own motivations? She drew in a deep breath, tightened her lips and then looked at him directly. “Do I trust Jon Krause? The truth?” Taylor nodded his encouragement. “I have my reasons, Taylor. Yes, I trust him.”

Taylor’s surprise was evident. “How do you know he isn’t playing you?”

“I suppose I don’t. He has nothing to gain by doing that. Not that I can see.”

“What aren’t you telling me?” he asked.

“Quite a lot actually,” she said. “You first. Why all these hurdles? What did you find?”

“I didn’t find much on your father. Fallon met with his detective friend. Got some interesting information. I did a little digging. Well, actually a lot of digging…on your old boss.”

“Tate?”

“Yeah. Seems Tate did go to the Secret Service and work within FINcen. Thing is, he was still on the payroll at State.”

“What are you talking about? Tate worked for the State Department?” Taylor arched his brow. “Doing?” she asked.

“Classified. So highly classified that I had to make a personal plea to Secretary Carver. Who, reluctantly, released a few files to me,” Taylor told her.

“And?”

“He worked on a project, Alex. A joint DOD, State Department project.”

“And?”

“The project name was SPHINX.”

Alex nodded. “I see.”

“That’s it? He worked on a project we were assigned to three years later. You don’t find that odd?”

“No, I don’t. It makes perfect sense, actually,” she responded.

“All right. What the hell is going on? I’m not as sold on your new friend’s motives as you seem to be.”

“I’m not certain I know anyone’s motives at this point, Taylor.” Alex was about to cross a line she had hoped she
would never have to choose to cross. So far in her career she had managed to avoid deception. Now, all things considered, she needed to immerse herself fully. In this case, that meant deceiving her old friend. “Taylor, Jon is Dylan’s father.” She let the words pass, feeling at least somewhat relieved that they were not a total lie.

“You are telling me that Krause and Cassidy…”

“Look, if you trust me…trust this; Jon Krause, whatever his past, whatever his connections, loves my family as much as I do. So yes, I trust him.”

“Did you ever consider that might make him more of a threat?”

“I have. Believe me. I have. If you trust me, Taylor, you will trust me on this judgment. I don’t like it, but everything in me tells me to trust him.”

Taylor groaned but conceded his defeat in the matter. “So, what do you make of Tate?”

“I don’t know. It fits. Makes sense why John would want me assigned to him at the bureau. If he knew about SPHINX then he would be able to deter me from investigations leading in that direction.”

“What else?” Taylor inquired sensing there was more.

“I need you to focus on chatter surrounding Northern Africa. Shipments, medical but with a darker…”

“I think I understand.”

“Taylor, listen to me. John was CIA. I am betting Tate was working under agency directives as well. My father is bankrolling at least some of this. I still think O’Brien’s accident…well, there is more there. Why try to kill a congressman? As a fall guy? What could he possibly have done or not done?”

“I suspect he was playing both sides.”

“Of what? He may be an asshole, but he isn’t a complete idiot.”

Taylor laughed. “Well, that’s a glowing appraisal,” he said. Alex smirked. “Suppose that the movement of money and shipments
was compromised or hindered by legislative restrictions. Let’s just say O’Brien made promises in too many directions.”

“Yeah, but politicians do that every single day. I agree, but there’s more, Taylor. Brackett didn’t shack up with him for no reason. And it isn’t just because she arranged that accident.”

“How do you know she…”

“Oh, she did. I don’t need a smoking gun to know that. She’s vested in him and believe me, he is not her type. She’s getting something or she is wanting something from him. There’s more. I have other fish to fry this week,” Alex explained.

“I heard.”

“Yeah, well. Unfortunately, Cassidy will be dealing with most of that situation with our mothers. Look, Taylor, this shipment that’s slated for Northern Africa. It looks like it may be a biologically engineered…”

“Christ almighty, Toles. Who would…”

“Who knows?” Alex admitted. “We’ll figure that out later. Right now where it is going, how it is going and when it is going have to be the priorities. Get Brady on that. Anything at all. My suggestion?” He waited for her to continue. “Get a tap on my father. Hone in on Carecom.”

Taylor nodded. “And Tate?”

“Time will tell.”

“If you find this shipment you’re going to need a way to stop it. You want Brady…”

“No.”

He took a deep breath. “Krause.”

“Taylor, it’s what he does.”

“And you?”

Alex just smiled. “It’s what we do,” she thought silently.

“Hey,” Cassidy greeted. She rolled over and allowed her eyes to adjust to the figure entering the bedroom.

“Sorry it’s so late,” Alex apologized as she took a seat on the edge of the bed. “Didn’t mean to wake you,” she said as she kissed Cassidy’s forehead.

“You didn’t. I actually just got Dylan down about an hour ago.”

“Why? Is he feeling okay?”

Cassidy jostled herself over toward Alex. “He’s okay. Why don’t you go get changed and come to bed.”

“Oh no. What’s going on?”

“Alex, it’s fine. Go get changed.” Alex shook her head, kicked off her shoes and positioned herself against the headboard, pulling Cassidy into her arms. “Nice try. You never let Dylan stay up this late. What happened? Wait…he didn’t get sent to the principal’s office again or…”

Cassidy giggled. “No. Although he ate so much pizza it might be considered a crime.”

“I missed pizza?”

“Mm-hmm.” Alex kissed the top of Cassidy’s head. “There’s some left for you.”

“You are the best, Mrs. O’Brien.” Alex paused. “By the way, what are you going to do about that?”

“About what?”

“You know? The Mrs. ‘thing’,” Alex explained.

“The Mrs. ‘thing’? If I’m not mistaken I will still be a Mrs.”

“Yeah, I guess you will. But we haven’t talked about that. I mean, are you still going to be Mrs. O’Brien?”

Cassidy sat up and offered Alex a cock-eyed smile. “I suppose I hadn’t really thought about that.” Cassidy could see the pained expression that Alex tried to conceal. “But no, Alex. I will not still be Mrs. O’Brien. What about you?” Cassidy tried not to laugh. “Technically you will be a Mrs. too, you know.”

“Yeah. I guess so. I mean…do you want me to be Mrs. McCollum?”

Cassidy tried not to erupt in a roar of laughter at the question. She could hear the strain and yet the sincerity in Alex’s
voice. She took a deep breath to quell her threatening outburst and pretended to consider the question carefully. Alex’s eyes seemed to get wider by the second and Cassidy decided to relieve her anxiety. “Mrs. McCollum is my mother,” she winked and kissed Alex’s cheek. “No, love. I do not want you to be Mrs. McCollum. I prefer you as a Toles.” Alex smiled in relief, but Cassidy had no doubt that had she asked Alex to take her name, the agent would have done so without any hesitation. “Brings up some things we need to discuss,” Cassidy said.