her, the president nodded, and she nodded back. She wondered what
she’d just agreed to, and asked Dylan.
“He can hear us. Everyone here can. As a
cat, our hearing is very good. We can hear most any whisper. He knows you’re
upset, baby, and he understands that you might have been caught in the middle
of something.”
“I was…I am. Mann is looking for me. I
didn’t know who before, and now that I do, I’m more afraid for your family. He won’t
stop. Not with what I know.” She wondered if Casey was still safe, and hoped
so. “I’ve done so many things in the name of the covert company I worked for.
So many horrible, horrible things. Things I don’t even know if I can forgive
myself for.”
They got into the truck that Reed had
driven over. Khan was so happy that he kept pulling her into his arms and
hugging her. The fourth or fifth time he came toward her, she told him if he
didn’t behave she was going to knock him on his ass. He laughed and hugged her,
anyway. The man was sappy, that’s all there was to it.
An hour later she was sitting in a room
with Marshall, Caitlynne, and the president, who’d asked her to call him
Warren. She declined. And Dylan was there, as well. He was there because he
threatened to simply listen in and tell everyone in the room with him what was
being discussed. She was never so happy to have him near her in her life.
~~~
“I started working for the agency right
out of college. I had a degree in criminal science, but it wasn’t going to do
me much good because I had a record.” She looked at Caitlynne when she asked
her for what. “Grand larceny. I stole a car. I was fifteen and thought that I
could sell it and use the money to eat on for a while. I had no idea that the
car was worthless; and worst yet, it belonged to a cop, Richard Davenport. He
was restoring it.”
“Did he have you arrested?” Marshall
asked. She smiled at him. “Or did he just have you given community service and
put you into some home?”
“Yes, he had me arrested. But he and his
wife also took me in. I spent the next four years living with them and going
straight. They helped me get into college and made me save my money. He also
taught me to trust no one. He saved my life a great many times with that bit of
sage advice.”
Marshall nodded. “You went to work for
Kirby Mann. What was the—?”
“I didn’t work for Mann until later. The
first man I worked for was Conrad Garrett. He got promoted right after I joined
the team. I think he’s dead, though.”
“Yes, he killed himself about a year or
so ago.” Caitlynne looked down at something on the desk. “Tell me who else is
on the team.”
“There are about fifty-three of us. Two
of them are now dead as of the night I ended up at the Clements’s house. I
killed them both when they fired at me. Would you like to see their files?” Caitlynne
looked at the president. “If I’m going to go before a firing squad, I might as
well make it worth my while.”
“You have them on you?” She stood up and
went to the front of the house. Dylan went with her. She went to the first step
and pulled it up. It was still where she’d left it. Going back to the study,
she handed the thumb drive to her. Caitlynne in turn handed it to Reed, who’d
been asked to join them when she said it was on a drive.
“The files are marked, and you should be
able to figure them out.” She went to the computer with Reed and stood behind
him, pointing them out as she explained. “This is the names and complete files
of each member of the group. Mine is there as well, but little of the
information is correct. I didn’t alter it. I just never gave up the right
information.”
Reed closed that one and opened the
next. He stared at if for several seconds before he looked around the room. He
didn’t say anything when she told him to open the first file.
“These are files that were in Garrett’s
office before he left. I had been in the office for…I was
she’d just agreed to, and asked Dylan.
“He can hear us. Everyone here can. As a
cat, our hearing is very good. We can hear most any whisper. He knows you’re
upset, baby, and he understands that you might have been caught in the middle
of something.”
“I was…I am. Mann is looking for me. I
didn’t know who before, and now that I do, I’m more afraid for your family. He won’t
stop. Not with what I know.” She wondered if Casey was still safe, and hoped
so. “I’ve done so many things in the name of the covert company I worked for.
So many horrible, horrible things. Things I don’t even know if I can forgive
myself for.”
They got into the truck that Reed had
driven over. Khan was so happy that he kept pulling her into his arms and
hugging her. The fourth or fifth time he came toward her, she told him if he
didn’t behave she was going to knock him on his ass. He laughed and hugged her,
anyway. The man was sappy, that’s all there was to it.
An hour later she was sitting in a room
with Marshall, Caitlynne, and the president, who’d asked her to call him
Warren. She declined. And Dylan was there, as well. He was there because he
threatened to simply listen in and tell everyone in the room with him what was
being discussed. She was never so happy to have him near her in her life.
~~~
“I started working for the agency right
out of college. I had a degree in criminal science, but it wasn’t going to do
me much good because I had a record.” She looked at Caitlynne when she asked
her for what. “Grand larceny. I stole a car. I was fifteen and thought that I
could sell it and use the money to eat on for a while. I had no idea that the
car was worthless; and worst yet, it belonged to a cop, Richard Davenport. He
was restoring it.”
“Did he have you arrested?” Marshall
asked. She smiled at him. “Or did he just have you given community service and
put you into some home?”
“Yes, he had me arrested. But he and his
wife also took me in. I spent the next four years living with them and going
straight. They helped me get into college and made me save my money. He also
taught me to trust no one. He saved my life a great many times with that bit of
sage advice.”
Marshall nodded. “You went to work for
Kirby Mann. What was the—?”
“I didn’t work for Mann until later. The
first man I worked for was Conrad Garrett. He got promoted right after I joined
the team. I think he’s dead, though.”
“Yes, he killed himself about a year or
so ago.” Caitlynne looked down at something on the desk. “Tell me who else is
on the team.”
“There are about fifty-three of us. Two
of them are now dead as of the night I ended up at the Clements’s house. I
killed them both when they fired at me. Would you like to see their files?” Caitlynne
looked at the president. “If I’m going to go before a firing squad, I might as
well make it worth my while.”
“You have them on you?” She stood up and
went to the front of the house. Dylan went with her. She went to the first step
and pulled it up. It was still where she’d left it. Going back to the study,
she handed the thumb drive to her. Caitlynne in turn handed it to Reed, who’d
been asked to join them when she said it was on a drive.
“The files are marked, and you should be
able to figure them out.” She went to the computer with Reed and stood behind
him, pointing them out as she explained. “This is the names and complete files
of each member of the group. Mine is there as well, but little of the
information is correct. I didn’t alter it. I just never gave up the right
information.”
Reed closed that one and opened the
next. He stared at if for several seconds before he looked around the room. He
didn’t say anything when she told him to open the first file.
“These are files that were in Garrett’s
office before he left. I had been in the office for…I was
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