Chapter Two #2
But despite the fact that she had only just met Seb, she didn’t want to believe that fate could be so cruel as to have matched her with a traitor, not when her duty to her country meant so much to her.
Would other members of Seb’s team willingly have sent them off to risk their lives?
Then there was Rory, a man she had worked closely with over the past three months and knew reasonably well, but did she know him well enough?
Clara’s handler, Senior Officer Lopez, had been with her from the beginning.
They’d been through a lot together and she refused to believe he could have had anything to do with the leak.
She’d only met Senior Officer Miller a handful of times.
It was difficult to believe any of them could be on Ortega’s payroll, but clearly one of them had let the cat out of the bag.
The only thing Clara knew for certain was that they hadn’t had any problems until Seb and his team had shown up.
Senior Officer Miller heaved a sigh. “Alright, alright, settle down,” he said, waving a hand to silence the chatter. “Now, there are other explanations for this leak, of course.”
The room fell silent as he continued.
“It could mean that someone else in the CIA, someone who is not in this room has had access to the case files, and I’ll be looking into that theory thoroughly over the coming days.
In the meantime, we’re all staying here in Spain until we can get this sorted out and determine how Ortega knew about our plans. ”
The news made a couple of the men in the room groan and Seb grinned over at them as if he was sharing in some private joke.
But then he glanced at her, and the grin slid from his face.
His eyes were sharp and assessing as if he too had questions about her loyalty.
A charged energy fizzled between them, making Clara wonder if Seb was happy about having to stay in Spain.
After all, it meant that they got more time to spend together so they could properly get to know one another.
Would he be pleased about that? Clara wasn’t even sure if she was pleased about it.
After all, she’d spent three months working this case and she couldn’t afford any distractions now, not when they were so close to getting results and finally putting Ortega behind bars where he belonged.
Senior Officers Miller and Lopez went over a few minor details and gave them all tasks to complete then Miller called an end to the briefing, and everyone started to disperse.
Seb spoke to his friends for a moment before heading over to her, but she didn’t miss the way they all glanced at her before heading out the door, some with open curiosity and one or two with barely disguised suspicion.
She supposed she couldn’t blame them—her expression was probably much the same as she regarded them.
“So,” Seb said as he reached her, “I guess that explains the lies between us last night.” His voice was low, a mix of understanding and curiosity.
Clara nodded, her mind still reeling from the revelations of the meeting. “There’s a lot we need to discuss,” she replied, her voice equally subdued.
“Maybe we could take a walk?” Seb suggested, his gaze searching hers for agreement.
Clara hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. “A walk sounds good.”
They left the building, stepping out into the bustling streets, the noise of the city a stark contrast to the tense silence of the meeting room.
As they walked, the conversation flowed more easily, a mixture of professional discussion about the case and cautious probing into each other's backgrounds.
“How long have you worked for the CIA?” Seb asked.
“About three years now. You?”
“Seven,” Seb said.
They rounded the block, and found themselves in a quieter area, where the hustle of the city seemed to fade into the background.
It was then that Clara spotted a familiar figure ahead of them.
Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized Vicente Ortega, casually seated at an outdoor café, sipping coffee as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
Clara did a quick perusal of the area and spotted his bodyguards standing up against the café wall, flanking him.
Her mouth went instantly dry. Ortega was a creature of habit and in all the months that she’d been on this mission and had studied his habits, she had never known him to come to this part of the city, certainly not just for a cup of coffee. So why now?
She tensed, instinctively putting more distance between her and her mate. “Seb,” she whispered urgently, nodding subtly towards Ortega.
Seb’s eyes narrowed as he spotted the arms dealer. They exchanged a quick, wordless glance, understanding the need to maintain their covers and act naturally.
As they approached the café, Clara’s mind raced. They couldn’t afford to blow their covers, not when they were this close to getting results. She forced a casual smile on her lips as they walked past Ortega’s table.
Ortega’s eyes flicked up to them, and recognition instantly sparked in his gaze. “Miss Young,” he said formally, his voice carrying just enough to reach them.
Clara’s heart pounded in her chest, but she managed to keep her composure. “Oh, Mr. Ortega,” she responded with feigned surprise, her voice steady. She forced a smile onto her lips. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Seb, playing along, offered a polite nod to Ortega but remained silent, letting Clara take the lead.
Ortega’s smile was thin, more a calculation than a gesture of friendliness. “Small world, isn’t it?” he remarked in his usual thick Spanish accent. “And who do we have here?” His gaze shifted to Seb, appraising him with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.
Clara felt Seb tense beside her. She quickly concocted a plausible cover. “This is James, a good friend of mine from the states,” she said, introducing Seb under a pseudonym. “He’s in Europe on vacation, so he reached out to me to meet up.”
Seb extended his hand in a gesture of cordiality. Ortega took it, his grip firm. “Pleased to meet you,” he said with surprising warmth.
“Vacation, you say?” Ortega’s eyes lingered on them a moment longer before he withdrew his hand.
Seb nodded. “You live in a beautiful part of the world. I can’t wait to explore more of it.”
“Well, I won't keep you. Enjoy your walk.”
As they continued past the café, Clara let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Once they were out of earshot, she whispered, “That was too close.”
Seb nodded in agreement, his expression serious. “We need to report this encounter. It could mean he’s onto us, or it could just be a coincidence, but we can’t take any chances.”
They quickened their pace, putting distance between themselves and Ortega. The encounter had shifted the tone of their walk from one of discovery to one of urgency. The casual ease they had started to develop was replaced by the weight of their professional responsibilities.
Clara glanced at Seb, seeing him not just as the man she felt an inexplicable bond with, but as a fellow agent, a partner in a high-stakes game of espionage.
“Once we report this, it could escalate the mission,” she said, her voice low.
“If the agency believes that Ortega knows that we’re on to him, they’ll move up their plans to gain evidence and arrest him.
This operation could be about to get tricky. ”
Seb met her gaze, a hint of the personal connection they shared earlier flickering in his eyes.
“We’ll handle it,” he assured her. “Together.”
Clara liked the sound of that.
As they made their way back to report the encounter, Clara couldn’t help but feel an uncomfortable mix of apprehension and anticipation.
The unexpected meeting with Ortega had added a new layer of complexity to their mission.
And yet, amidst the danger and deception, the connection between her and Seb had become an anchor, and she felt, deep down that despite the earlier talk of a mole in their midst that Seb was someone she could trust. She had never wanted something to be true more in her entire life.