My ClosetOur Closet?
Glennon
“Thank you for meeting with me, Agent Thompson.”
She fiddled with the insulator on her to-go coffee cup, sliding it up and down against the paper casing. “Please. Just Glennon. I think it’s safe to say I’m no longer an agent for the US government.”
They sat at one of the many tables under a brightly covered umbrella along the riverwalk. Just two normal, everyday people enjoying the weather and a cup of early morning coffee. Nothing out of the ordinary.
At the table to their left, Triumph sat at his laptop, pretending to be doing work.
He had his earbuds in as he listened to the conversation at Glennon and Hammerling’s table.
At the table to their right, Francesca sat with Cruz, maps and sightseeing brochures in hand, breakfast in front of them, looking for all the world like two tourists planning out their day.
They also had earbuds in. The first goal was to keep neighbors from overhearing the two agents talking to one another.
Their second goal was to make Glennon feel more secure about speaking with the FBI chief.
“Glennon, then,” Hammerling agreed. “And feel free to call me Steven.”
She nodded. They could sit like this all day and shoot the shit, so she opened the conversational door. “What is it you want from me? The FBI and the CIA don’t always work hand in hand. My time in South America is out of your jurisdiction.”
“Hmm… So if our two organizations were living together in a relationship, my FBI closet is only an FBI closet, but your CIA closet is ‘our’ closet, and vice versa?”
“I can neither confirm nor deny the accuracy of that statement,” she replied.
He smirked. Message received. He wasn’t wrong. While it was illegal for the CIA to work domestically, it was a common acceptance that they often broke that rule. Glennon hadn’t, personally, but she knew it was done.
He took a sip of his coffee, then leaned back in his seat.
“My contacts at San Diego International Airport informed me that a private jet from Buenos Aires, Argentina, landed late last night. Four passengers. They were identified as Guillermo Colonel, his second, Cesar Romero Díaz, and two bodyguards. They were questioned at customs, but nothing untoward was found. They claim they’re here to visit the family of a Gillian Thomas. ”
Fuck. Brazen. Technically, her legend listed her family as having gone “No Contact,” but she was guessing that they knew her true identity.
Even though it was the truth, he wouldn’t necessarily know that.
“They’re going to go after my parents to try to draw me out.
I haven’t spoken to them in over a decade.
They won’t know anything, and when he realizes that, he’ll kill them. ”
“I don’t have a way to protect them, officially, without putting this conversation on the record.”
“Unofficially?”
“Triumph’s friend, Cosmos. He owns a protection company out of Chicago. He sent a couple of men to watch them, but it’s a race to see who gets there first. Guillermo has the advantage.”
It wasn’t the best, but it was something. She may not like her family, but they were family. If something happened to them because of her, it would be one more sliver of guilt within her.
“Understood. But that still doesn’t explain what you want.”
“I want the Colonel Cartel out of the United States. You’ve been inside. You have information we can use. Information the CIA has not been willing to share.”
Yet another trait of her employers. They always wanted all the other agencies to hand over their findings, but rarely did they do the same. My closet versus our closet.
“What you want from me is very one-sided.”
“Well, one can always hope for the informant to want to do what’s best out of the goodness of their heart.”
“Shutting down Guillermo may shut down his branch of the Colonel Cartel, but it won’t stop the drug trade.
If his brother, Ignacio, doesn’t step in to take over, it won’t be long before another group will.
My help will save very few lives. This country has a drug problem that has nothing to do with availability. ”
“In general, I would agree with that. But my job, and the job of the FBI, is to do what it can to stop the cartels. It’s up to Washington to deal with the root of the problem.”
She looked out over the wrought-iron fence at a boat passing by, with the first run of tourists floating through the canal.
If he was right—if they could manage to shut down Guillermo—there would be a lag.
If Ignacio took over, it would be significantly less because the pipeline wouldn’t be lost, just the first head of a two-headed snake.
If they could somehow wipe out both men, as well as the pipeline, the lag would be longer, and the other cartels would have to scramble a bit to get in place.
They might even be distracted while they fought among themselves over who that new supplier would be.
Was she being selfish? Dealers would find new suppliers, but it would take a little time. Product would slow, creating high demand and driving up the prices. It might save some lives in the short run, but not many.
It felt selfish to withhold the information, but at the same time, she’d done her time. Sacrificed enough already. She understood why Hammerling wanted the information. She even wanted him to have it.
Were those few lives they’d save be enough to consider worthwhile by risking herself being the pawn of yet another agency? Part of her screamed at how awful a person she was for staying silent. That even one life saved was worth her potential imprisonment in another bureaucratic institution.
The other part screamed back just as loud at the unfairness of what was being asked of her.
It wasn’t her fault if the CIA wanted to have the biggest dick in the measuring contest and hold onto the information.
Information they knew would save lives if all the organizations could actually let go of their collective egos and work together.
Both choices were bad.
When had her choices ever been good?
She expected that Triumph would have jumped into the conversation by now, pissed off at Hammerling for asking this of her.
Threatening to shut this all down immediately.
And while he probably wanted to do just that, she was moved by the fact that he hadn’t.
While he didn’t like it, he respected that it was her decision.
She held the power. She controlled the game, and it was Hammerling’s job to play within the rules of that game, similar to her situation with Triumph.
As long as Hammerling didn’t arrest her for withholding information. He’d promised Francesca and Cruz this wasn’t that type of meeting. But could he truly be trusted? They obviously trusted him. Triumph didn’t. She wanted to, but trust was difficult after everything she’d been through.
She settled for sharing her concerns. “Can you assure me protection from the cartel if I help you?”
“As of right now, off the books like this? It’s the same as your parents.
My hands are tied. Tripoli and Francesca have assured me that between Cosmos and Triumph, they are willing to do what they can.
But Guillermo has much more firepower, literally and figuratively, I expect.
They’re running a terrible risk offering you that protection, both for you and for them.
” He sighed. “Secretly, I do admire them for it though.”
It was the answer she expected, but hearing it out loud did not help his case.
“With all due respect, Steven, my own employers couldn’t protect me, nor did they have my best interests at heart.
Hell, I still don’t know who cut me off, turned me over, or why they did.
So why would I trust another government agency to be any different? ”
He finished his coffee. “I can’t answer that, Glennon. Any answer I give you will likely be unconvincing. I just have to hope that you’ll come to a conclusion that helps us.” He stood. “Think about it. Just as I can’t offer you protection, I can’t make you give up the information.”
He reconsidered. “Well, I could arrest you and make your life a living hell until I get it. But I think you’ve already had enough of that.
I won’t force you to give me the information.
Ever. I’ll hold true to my word that this meeting is off the books.
Someone needs to restore your faith, and since it won’t be the people it should be, then I guess it will have to be me. ”
He slid his card across the table. “In case you decide to help. But I do understand if you choose not to.”
As she watched him walk away, she pondered what to do.