14. Angel #2
“Then the evidence you’ve found linking Douglas Jenner is circumstantial at best, and it gives Brad Callahan an alibi. It’s a dead end unless we catch him in the act, but we already suspected as much. Have you located Kenneth?” I ask.
“He’s a ghost,” Owen says. “If he’s still in the area, he’s gone completely off the grid.
I haven’t seen him on any of the cameras you placed at the nearby campgrounds, the rim lodge, the post office, or the diner.
So, I decided to run facial recognition again since Bennett disabled the shutdown virus, hoping to dig a little deeper. Do you know what I found?”
I grip the back of his chair as excitement floods my veins. “Please tell me it’s something good. We need a check in the win column.”
“Nothing.”
“What do you mean by ‘nothing’? As in nothing good?” I ask. “Or do you mean nothing at all?”
“I mean nothing at all,” Owen says. Pursing his lips as he looks toward the open door where we can see Daisy talking with Bennett, he lowers his voice. “Our friend may have scrubbed Kenneth from the system.”
I think about all the operations I’ve been tasked with during my time with the CIA.
If they want someone to disappear, it’s generally for one of two reasons.
The first is that the person is an asset and it’s paramount that their identity remain elusive, which is usually the case.
In rare circumstances, the person is a threat to an operation and under surveillance as a potential target for elimination. I need to find out which.
“There’s only one way to know for sure, and that’s by asking Bennett.”
Owen agrees, and we head outside to question the man. Daisy turns toward us when she sees our approach. “Bennett has to leave for a few days. He got a call and has to return to Langley.”
With a single eyebrow arched, I ask him, “Does it have anything to do with this case we’re working on, or why Kenneth Johnson has suddenly disappeared from the CIA database?”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Bennett replies with an air of annoyance at my directness.
Owen explains everything as I watch Bennett’s face for any sign that he’s hiding something. Either he’s a superb actor, or he’s as perplexed by the situation as we are.
“I assure you, I did not do what you are accusing me of,” Bennett says.
“Scrubbing a person from agency databases would take time, access, and resources I do not have with a mere laptop. Unlike you, Owen, I don’t possess those kinds of skills.
Just the basics. If you’d like to check my computer for any duplicitous behavior, by all means, go ahead.
You have an hour before I need to leave for my flight. ”
“Will you be returning anytime soon?” Daisy asks. “I was under the impression that you were going to help us.”
Bennett looks at each of us as though questioning whether he would even be welcome back. “Yes, in a few days.” He hands me a card with just a number on it. “This is the number for a burner phone. If you find Kenneth Johnson, please let me know right away. I’ll be on the first plane back.”
Testing the waters, I ask, “You’ve lost your asset?”
Bennett doesn’t answer my question. “If you find him, do not question him without me present. If I discover that you did, any help from the CIA will be null and void. Are we clear? He holds information that’s vital to national security and overseas operations.
Information classified Top Secret and restricted to those with a need to know. ”
Daisy widens her stance and places her hands on her hips. “We need to know.”
“You may think so,” Bennett replies. “But I’ve given you everything I have that directly relates to the missing persons case you are working on. Anything beyond that is irrelevant.”
Owen sneers. “If you mean Dominion, then that’s far from irrelevant.”
My head turns in the direction of rocks crunching under boots as a woman holding a large manila envelope approaches. I recognize her as the woman who checked me into the cabin. Barbara smiles as she waves the piece of mail in the air.
“Mr. Conway, this was just delivered for you and your wife.”
Daisy grins and winks at me before stepping forward and holding out her hand. “I’m the wife you speak of.”
Barbara gives Daisy the envelope. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I hope our little honeymoon cabin meets your standards.”
“It’s quite charming. Thank you,” Daisy says, going along with the ruse that we’re married.
“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let me know,” Barbara says as she turns to leave. “Enjoy the rest of your stay!”
Bennett also takes his leave with one last parting remark. “Angel, you and Vinny know that the CIA will do whatever it takes to succeed. You’ve already botched one mission that took decades to put in place. Don’t make the same mistake twice.”
His warning isn’t lost on me. If Vinny or I step out of bounds, we’re either going to meet Jesus soon or end up in a dark hole where no one can find us. The same goes for Daisy, Owen, Scott, and the rest of their team, who should be here by tomorrow.
I don’t take kindly to threats, but it isn’t just me in the crosshairs. If I want to protect Daisy, then I’m going to need to toe the line. That’s definitely not something I’ve been good at when someone I care about is in danger. In this case, danger is the byproduct if I don’t.