view the backyard full of flowers, swings and bicycles. A home. A home he’d never have. “Get your bag,” he said flatly. “I’ll take you to a safe house.”
Tessa’s smile faded. “Why? I did what you ask. I’m not going anywhere with you,” she complained as she lifted her small leopard overnight bag and a wallet from the bed. She moved toward the door with determination and head held high.
“Why did you go to Morocco four years ago?” Chase said folding his arms across his chest. Watching her stop suddenly and turn to face him gave Chase suspicions that he was about to hear a lie coming from the mouth of an angel.
This time Tessa didn’t offer a teasing smile. She looked tired and confused at the whole day’s experience. “Why don’t you ask Claudia? I’m sure she can tell you. That’s what she really does isn’t it? She’s a cyber-cop who spies on innocent people’s lives, assumes the worst, transfers the benign to fit some kind of conspiracy to cover your mistakes at Enigma?”
Chase eyed her from head to toe. How could someone with angelic looks be this clever and quick? Was she fooling him with this innocent routine? “Why?” He had a way of demanding quietly.
“Robert took me there because my favorite Bogart movie is Casablanca. If Claudia will dig a little deeper she’ll see that’s where we went on our anniversary!” she said in a low, condescending voice. “And if you’ll check hospital records you’ll see my daughter was born nine months later.” Tessa pulled back her shoulders and readjusted her grip on the overnight bag. “It was a surprise. Robert saved for two years to take me there. Trust me as tight as Robert is with money that was a real treat for me.”
She didn’t think it was important to include that Robert had an international conference in Rabat on the future of disputed territories and lands of the 21 st century. His taking her meant that he only had to pay for half of the trip. Mostly she had sat by the pool and read a book. The trip to Casablanca had been a side trip offered to the attendees to make their trip to Morocco a memorial one. Nine months later Tessa gave birth to a seven pound baby girl. She’d wanted to name her Ingrid after the actress that starred in Casablanca but Robert had thought that was too boring for his beautiful little girl.
“All in my file,” she said flippantly. “Or it will be when Claudia finishes. Pretty boring stuff. However, I’m sure you guys will do a good job embellishing it so it can fit a specific need or target. Am I in trouble?” Tessa kept her voice steady. She missed her family.
Chase stormed past her as he relieved her of the faux leopard bag. “You are trouble, Tessa Scott.”
At the foot of the stairs Chase observed Claudia and two other Enigma personnel watching a computer screen they’d collected from the family room. The small lap top sat precariously atop a broken vase on the dining room table. A desperate voice asking for help reached his ears as he pushed aside the men. The screen had been a video email sent earlier in the day.
“Mrs. Scott!” the old man pleaded. He held up his hands to show they‘d been tied at the wrist with clothesline cord. A ripped, brown grocery bag partially covered his head. Somehow he‘d managed to contact Tessa Scott. “Please you’ve got to get out of town. There are men here,” he looked behind him as if listening carefully, then back at the screen. “Middle Eastern, radicals. They want me to activate a bomb. They have plans to…” There were voices in the background. Anxious. Rapid. “I think it’s a dirty bomb. They think I …” Several men burst into the room where the old man spoke, shouting and waving handguns. One stood in the background, observing. He moved forward and looked into the computer screen smiling next to Mr. Crawley. Suddenly the old man landed a shoulder into the man, spun around and hit send. The screen went dark. Silence ensued as all
Tessa’s smile faded. “Why? I did what you ask. I’m not going anywhere with you,” she complained as she lifted her small leopard overnight bag and a wallet from the bed. She moved toward the door with determination and head held high.
“Why did you go to Morocco four years ago?” Chase said folding his arms across his chest. Watching her stop suddenly and turn to face him gave Chase suspicions that he was about to hear a lie coming from the mouth of an angel.
This time Tessa didn’t offer a teasing smile. She looked tired and confused at the whole day’s experience. “Why don’t you ask Claudia? I’m sure she can tell you. That’s what she really does isn’t it? She’s a cyber-cop who spies on innocent people’s lives, assumes the worst, transfers the benign to fit some kind of conspiracy to cover your mistakes at Enigma?”
Chase eyed her from head to toe. How could someone with angelic looks be this clever and quick? Was she fooling him with this innocent routine? “Why?” He had a way of demanding quietly.
“Robert took me there because my favorite Bogart movie is Casablanca. If Claudia will dig a little deeper she’ll see that’s where we went on our anniversary!” she said in a low, condescending voice. “And if you’ll check hospital records you’ll see my daughter was born nine months later.” Tessa pulled back her shoulders and readjusted her grip on the overnight bag. “It was a surprise. Robert saved for two years to take me there. Trust me as tight as Robert is with money that was a real treat for me.”
She didn’t think it was important to include that Robert had an international conference in Rabat on the future of disputed territories and lands of the 21 st century. His taking her meant that he only had to pay for half of the trip. Mostly she had sat by the pool and read a book. The trip to Casablanca had been a side trip offered to the attendees to make their trip to Morocco a memorial one. Nine months later Tessa gave birth to a seven pound baby girl. She’d wanted to name her Ingrid after the actress that starred in Casablanca but Robert had thought that was too boring for his beautiful little girl.
“All in my file,” she said flippantly. “Or it will be when Claudia finishes. Pretty boring stuff. However, I’m sure you guys will do a good job embellishing it so it can fit a specific need or target. Am I in trouble?” Tessa kept her voice steady. She missed her family.
Chase stormed past her as he relieved her of the faux leopard bag. “You are trouble, Tessa Scott.”
At the foot of the stairs Chase observed Claudia and two other Enigma personnel watching a computer screen they’d collected from the family room. The small lap top sat precariously atop a broken vase on the dining room table. A desperate voice asking for help reached his ears as he pushed aside the men. The screen had been a video email sent earlier in the day.
“Mrs. Scott!” the old man pleaded. He held up his hands to show they‘d been tied at the wrist with clothesline cord. A ripped, brown grocery bag partially covered his head. Somehow he‘d managed to contact Tessa Scott. “Please you’ve got to get out of town. There are men here,” he looked behind him as if listening carefully, then back at the screen. “Middle Eastern, radicals. They want me to activate a bomb. They have plans to…” There were voices in the background. Anxious. Rapid. “I think it’s a dirty bomb. They think I …” Several men burst into the room where the old man spoke, shouting and waving handguns. One stood in the background, observing. He moved forward and looked into the computer screen smiling next to Mr. Crawley. Suddenly the old man landed a shoulder into the man, spun around and hit send. The screen went dark. Silence ensued as all
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