Chapter 5
Thursday, one day before the mission, EOD headquarters
Gabby sat down across from Valentina, the clean expanse of Valentina’s desk between them.
The only decoration an award. There were no personal photos.
Gabby’s desk was the opposite. She had a recent picture of her family in its most current form, taken at Granny’s favorite bingo hall.
At first, Gabby had been upset about the kids gambling, but it was mostly just time with their grandma.
In the picture, Lucas had a plastic water cup sucked to his face.
Kyle was looking at the ceiling, waiting for the aliens to rescue her, maybe.
Granny wasn’t smiling because her partial was at the shop.
Burt was beaming. Justin had also given her a framed headshot of his drag persona, Betty Danger.
Beside the photo was a tray of succulents that were hanging on for dear life and some reminders about upcoming school events.
Was Gabby doing this wrong?
“I have a separate assignment for you to complete while you’re at the resort.” Valentina didn’t smile.
“Who, me?” Before Gabby could think about it, she blurted out, “Shouldn’t you be giving Markus the extra assignments?” He was the senior field agent. Gabby had one mission under her belt.
“Markus can’t do this one.”
“Oh no, you don’t want me to seduce someone, do you? I’m not sure if that’s in my skill set.” It wasn’t.
“Noted,” Valentina said with zero expression, “But that’s not what I’m asking for.”
“Oh.” Gabby’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“The assignment is to keep tabs on Markus.”
Uh-oh.
“Why? Markus is the most competent agent I know.”
“That’s true, but everyone has a breaking point. It’s my job to make sure you are all healthy and fit to do your jobs. Darcy’s death brought Markus to his lowest. I haven’t seen him bounce back yet.”
What the hell did that mean? Gabby chewed the inside of her cheek. She did not like the sound of this.
“I’ve been married to the man, Gabby. I know his weaknesses.”
Valentina was imagining things.
“I need you to keep me briefed on Markus. Specifically, on his relationship with Genesis.”
“Why?” Gabby felt like the rug had been ripped out from under her. “Why would you do that? He’s such a good agent.”
Valentina sighed. “To be frank, I need to know if we can fully trust Markus. He’s become very friendly with Genesis at one of his lowest points. This mission is two birds, one stone: Recover the psychic and make sure Markus didn’t drink the Kool-Aid.”
“Fine, I’ll keep an eye on him.”
“I’ll need a full daily report.”
Gabby had no intention of filing a bad report on Markus. Unless the man murdered someone, she was going to tell Valentina that he was the best agent she’d ever seen.
“Agent Greene, do you copy?” Valentina’s voice was sharp.
Gabby’s nod must not have inspired trust because Valentina reiterated, “Agent Greene, are you prepared to do this assignment, even if you don’t like what you find?”
Gabby wasn’t going to find anything she didn’t like. Markus was perfect. She smiled and said, “Of course. I’m a professional.”
This entire job was about establishing and betraying trust. It was like her relationship with Phil all over again, except Valentina was asking her to play the part of Phil. Gabby’s stomach soured at the thought.
A knock at the door interrupted her shame spiral. Markus poked his head into the room, unaware that the woman who had just agreed to have his back was now a double agent.
“Hey, Markus,” Valentina said, shifting from “spy on Markus” to “this morning’s agenda” as smoothly as a German sports car. “Glad you’re here. Gabby and I were just getting caught up.”
He took a seat next to Gabby and smiled. “Hey, partner.”
She died a little inside.
“You two need to get to Disguises, but let’s go over a few last-minute details.
” Valentina tapped on her desk with a pen.
“The travel arrangements are set. Agent Greene arranged plane tickets under her alias. You leave LAX at 8:40 a.m. tomorrow morning with a layover in Boston and should be in the Azores by tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll pick you up at oh-six-hundred,” Markus said.
He looked unfazed by any of it. Then again, he just had to pack.
Gabby had a lot of planning to do: schedules, groceries, and she had better make sure Granny and Burt had all their beta-blockers and cholesterol pills and an unexpired epi for Lucas.
While she was at it, she should flush Burt’s Viagra down the drain.
She needed him to focus while she was gone, or at least not be a major distraction for everyone else.
Burt was growing on her, but not really.
When Gabby had suggested that Granny could do better, Granny had fired back: “I’m eighty-three, sweetheart. There’s not a lot to pick from. It’s a pretty limited pool to begin with, and it’s getting smaller by the minute. Men don’t live as long as women.”
Burt had some of his hair, most of his teeth, and could still drive.
“Inner-G doesn’t allow phones.”
This horrifying statement brought Gabby back to the present.
“You’re supposed to leave yours at the front desk when you arrive.” Valentina checked her reflection in the mirror and swiped on some lipstick. Casually beautiful.
Gabby gasped, not casually anything. “How will I keep in touch with my family?”
“I’ll set up a dummy front desk number for them to call that can serve as an answering service while you’re gone.”
“Okay. Can we have that every day?” she joked. The EOD could screen tummy aches for her. That would be cool. But behind the joke, she couldn’t imagine not talking to her kids. That wasn’t something she wanted to outsource to a front desk.
Valentina swept her hair up into a ponytail.
Clearly, the meeting was almost over because she was getting ready for the next thing.
“It sounds like Inner-G assumes everyone will follow its no-phone rule and is not using jammers. We’re going to take advantage of this arrogance and supply you with sat phones to keep in contact.
Several key locations have already been bugged, and our liaison in the Azores will dead drop everything you need for the mission. ”
“Isn’t it illegal to spy on American citizens? Is Genesis American?”
“Jasmine is conveniently Australian, and the resort is in Portuguese territory. We have a US citizen with potential knowledge of sensitive information who was possibly abducted and brought to a foreign nation. The jurisdiction is clear.” Valentina glanced at them.
“You will be doing the primary data collection and liaising with an operative from the Portuguese Intelligence Service.”
Gabby normally had trouble following a television plot this complicated.
“Right now, I want you both to head down to the Disguises department.” Valentina raised an eyebrow. “Gabby, I’m guessing you don’t have any resort wear.”
“Resort wear?”
“Exactly.” Valentina turned back to her computer. “I have to get back to work. You two get your wardrobe straightened out.”
Gabby hadn’t been to the Disguises department since she had transformed into Darcy.
Darcy hadn’t been a bombshell, but she’d had better hair than Gabby and didn’t wear sweatpants and Crocs every day.
Her original Darcy makeover had been life-changing.
Sometimes it takes the CIA to get you out of your sad clothes.
Tina welcomed her into the department. “Gabby! You’re back.” Before she had a chance to respond, Tina said, “So I was thinking we’d give you a little hair refresher, and obviously, you’re going to need a mani/pedi.”
That normally would have sent a wave of pleasure through her, but today she couldn’t. “I don’t know if I have time for all of that. I have a lot of errands, and I haven’t even told the kids I’m leaving.”
“Sit down, Gabby. You need a manicure. It’s a matter of national security.”
Gabby relented. Who knew the CIA had a manicure department?
After a trim, a color refresh, and a gloss, Tina said, “Seriously, did you think you could go on mission with an inch of roots? Keeping you looking good is my job.”
Gabby relaxed and let Tina take control.
“You’re done with bangs.”
She swallowed a laugh. “Whatever you say.”
“They’re pretty much grown out.”
After an hour of getting her hair washed, dyed, and blown out into the perfect style, Gabby was starting to feel like nothing mattered. It would all be fine. Snacks? Who cared. Pharmacy? Why did she need to go again? Fake marrying Markus? Whatever.
Dante, on wardrobe, entered the room with a flourish. “Now for resort wear.”
Gabby gave Dante a wave and smiled blissfully. She couldn’t care less what he packed for her.
“I’m sending you with several evening looks, about ten swimsuits, some cover-ups, and espadrilles.”
“Swimsuits?” The icy hand of fear clenched her chest and constricted her breathing. She sat up in her chair. Not a swimsuit. No. There was no way. A dress with shapewear underneath was as far as she was willing to go. She would rather take on the Russian Mafia again.
Dante put a hand on his hip and looked down his nose. “Of course you need swimsuits.”
“That seems really unnecessary.” Yoga was bad enough.
“I’m sending you and Markus fully prepared for a beach vacation. Rich people don’t show up to a resort with one swimsuit they bought fifteen years ago.” He looked at Gabby skeptically. “Unless you have a nice suit?”
Gabby hadn’t put on a swimsuit since Lucas’s last mommy and me swimming lesson.
Getting herself and a toddler in and out of swimwear in a damp YMCA locker room had been her version of hell.
When he’d graduated to big boy swim lessons, she’d retired her swimsuit.
It was in the bottom of a drawer somewhere.
“I don’t have a beach body, Dante.”
“Gabby, that’s enough. There is no such thing as a beach body. If your body is on the beach, it’s a beach body.”
“You know what I mean. No one wants to see me in a swimsuit.”
Gabby shook her head in abject terror as Dante brought out a few swimsuits. She actually shouted, “A TWO-PIECE? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Tina, get the CBD oil, and maybe some restraints.” With a stern look, Dante said, “I need to know if these fit. I can’t have you showing up to the Azores and finding out that your suit is too small.
” He angled a gaze at her. “You looking good is my responsibility.” He handed her a couple of suits.
“I’m a stylist. I know what looks good and what doesn’t. ”
She could do this. She’d birthed two children. She’d survived ten years of parent pickup. She could wear a swimsuit.
Calmly, her mind somewhere else, she stepped out of her clothes and put her feet in the swimsuit, one at a time.
When she stepped out of the room, Dante looked up. “See? You look great.”
“Really?”
“Beautiful.”
He sucked air through his teeth. “After I finish with you, I’m making one more appointment.”
“For what?”
“You need to get waxed.”
Gabby groaned. Markus was already done and had been for about an hour. “Does Markus have to get waxed?”
“You know the answer to that,” he said. “This is the world we live in.”
“Also, where am I going to hide my gun?”
“No body hair. No pockets. Them’s the rules.”
Gabby hung her head. To prevent international terrorism and protect the nation, she needed a wax. National security was riding on her bikini line.
At the end of the day, Gabby was a mix of relaxed, pampered, hairless, and completely freaked out.
She had a suitcase professionally packed by the CIA, a huge file of backstory to memorize, and a beach bag filled with spy gadgets handed over with the comment, “Everything in there is self-explanatory.”
Inside the house, it was remarkably calm. Kyle was doing her homework at the kitchen table. Lucas was doing Legos. The TV was on. There was no yelling.
When she stepped into the kitchen, Kyle looked up with surprise. “Whoa, Mom, what happened to you today?”
The day had been so chaotic that she’d almost forgotten about her makeover. She brushed her hand through her freshly styled hair. “Oh, I had a hair appointment.”
Kyle narrowed her eyes with suspicion. “And a manicure. And someone did your makeup?”
“Do you like it?”
Kyle gave a single nod. “Is this a dating thing? River’s mom got a makeover when she started dating.”
“No! Of course not, sweetie.”
Kyle released a breath.
“It’s for work. My boss is sending me to a conference, and she said I needed to get it together if I was going to be representing the company.”
Kyle let out a giggle. “What, she didn’t like your Crocs?”
“I know, right?”
“Maybe she doesn’t know about sport mode,” Kyle scoffed. Whenever Lucas ran, he put his Crocs in “sport mode,” which just meant putting the heel strap down so they didn’t fall off. Apparently, it was a thing on TikTok.
Gabby sat down next to her girl. “My boss definitely doesn’t know about sport mode. I’ve seen her run in four-inch heels.”
“Is she Barbie or something?”
Pretty much.
When Lucas wandered in, Gabby decided to break the news to them.
Gabby steeled herself for complaints and announced, “I’m going to be gone for a whole week.
” The way she said “week” made it sound like a year.
“My boss says I have to go.” Neither kid said anything.
In fact, they looked completely unfazed.
Phil went on work trips all the time. They were used to the concept.
She was the only one who was freaked out.
“Dad will be around. And Granny and Burt. And I’ll be a phone call away the whole time.”
“Where are you going?” Kyle asked, seeming very reasonable about the whole thing.
“Cleveland.” Cleveland was the fastest way to shut down any conversation.
“What’s that?” Lucas asked. “Is it a waterpark?”