asked.
He gave her a small smile. “About an hour after the raid. All standard op. Several tips on drug manufacturing leading to surveillance to planning the raid and its timing. Nothing to indicate it was other than a straightforward raid.”
“There was a computer lab that looked heavily defended,” said Laura.
Terryn sifted a folder out of his pile. “I thought that was interesting, too. It was destroyed. Crime Scene hasn’t released anything yet, and I’m hearing rumblings that the FBI might take over.” Terryn pushed a piece of paper across his desk. “More bad news.”
She picked up the sheet, a memo on FBI letterhead, stamped SECRET and hand-delivered. She skimmed it and slipped surprise on her face. “Sanchez was working for the Bureau?”
Terryn nodded. “I confirmed the report through our back channel at the FBI. He was CTD.”
A spot of annoyance in her chest quickly blossomed into anger. “Counterterrorism? What the hell did I step in, Terryn, and why didn’t we know about it?”
He held up his hands. “I was as much in the dark as you were, Laura.”
She threw the memo on his desk. “ Dark? I got shot at , Terryn, by our own side. You can’t get more dark than that.”
He frowned. “Laura . . . I know. I don’t blame you for being upset, but you’re getting angry at the wrong person. You volunteered for that mission, remember?”
She closed her eyes and massaged her temples. “I’m sorry. You’re right, Terryn. I have a headache, and I’m ticked off. It’s been a long two days.”
She wasn’t going to wait for an invitation or assignment to figure out what was going on with Sanchez and the FBI, not when her own life was in the balance. “Who was Sanchez’s field director?”
“Lawrence Scales.”
She knew the name. Good reputation from all she had heard. “Set up an appointment. I’m going.”
Terryn didn’t try to hide his amusement. “There’s the Laura I know. Would you like me to drive you to the meeting, or do I have your permission to run this unit while you go?”
She bit her lips in false embarrassment. “I’m sorry. What I meant was, may I have this assignment, sir?”
He inclined his head. “You may. It makes sense for you to go as Mariel Tate anyway. I already set up the appointment and sent a dossier to the Tate office.”
“Thanks. She’ll get right on it,” said Laura. Mariel was the most formidable persona Laura used. She was smart, powerful, and had the might of InterSec to back her up publicly. Mariel’s phone calls were always taken if someone was in, and the first returned if someone was out.
Terryn moved papers on his desk. “I’ve done some preliminary research on the SWAT team. Gianni, Sinclair, and Sanchez have done paid detail and other side work at a dinner club called the Vault.”
Laura nodded. “I know. I was there last night. Tylo Blume, of all people, owns the place. He offered me a job.”
“He’s an arms merchant,” said Terryn.
Laura’s eyebrow flicked up. “That I didn’t know. His firm is running some of the security for the Archives ceremony I’m working on for Guild public relations.”
Terryn dropped a corner of his mouth slightly. “Laura Blackstone and Janice Crawford have both met him?”
Laura shrugged. “It’s a coincidence. I’ve been avoiding meeting with him about the Archives ceremony as Laura Blackstone because that ups the pressure to say yes to what he wants. Senator Hornbeck’s the actual connection. Foyle mentioned to him that he wanted a backup for Corman Deegan, his SWAT-team druid who’s out of commission. If you remember, Terryn, you were the one that wanted more contacts with local enforcement. I created Janice the first time Deegan called in sick.”
Terryn leaned back in his chair. “I remember. I also remember saying I thought the situation might produce a persona conflict.”
She had no choice but to agree. “Fine, you were right. I didn’t think the two personas would
He gave her a small smile. “About an hour after the raid. All standard op. Several tips on drug manufacturing leading to surveillance to planning the raid and its timing. Nothing to indicate it was other than a straightforward raid.”
“There was a computer lab that looked heavily defended,” said Laura.
Terryn sifted a folder out of his pile. “I thought that was interesting, too. It was destroyed. Crime Scene hasn’t released anything yet, and I’m hearing rumblings that the FBI might take over.” Terryn pushed a piece of paper across his desk. “More bad news.”
She picked up the sheet, a memo on FBI letterhead, stamped SECRET and hand-delivered. She skimmed it and slipped surprise on her face. “Sanchez was working for the Bureau?”
Terryn nodded. “I confirmed the report through our back channel at the FBI. He was CTD.”
A spot of annoyance in her chest quickly blossomed into anger. “Counterterrorism? What the hell did I step in, Terryn, and why didn’t we know about it?”
He held up his hands. “I was as much in the dark as you were, Laura.”
She threw the memo on his desk. “ Dark? I got shot at , Terryn, by our own side. You can’t get more dark than that.”
He frowned. “Laura . . . I know. I don’t blame you for being upset, but you’re getting angry at the wrong person. You volunteered for that mission, remember?”
She closed her eyes and massaged her temples. “I’m sorry. You’re right, Terryn. I have a headache, and I’m ticked off. It’s been a long two days.”
She wasn’t going to wait for an invitation or assignment to figure out what was going on with Sanchez and the FBI, not when her own life was in the balance. “Who was Sanchez’s field director?”
“Lawrence Scales.”
She knew the name. Good reputation from all she had heard. “Set up an appointment. I’m going.”
Terryn didn’t try to hide his amusement. “There’s the Laura I know. Would you like me to drive you to the meeting, or do I have your permission to run this unit while you go?”
She bit her lips in false embarrassment. “I’m sorry. What I meant was, may I have this assignment, sir?”
He inclined his head. “You may. It makes sense for you to go as Mariel Tate anyway. I already set up the appointment and sent a dossier to the Tate office.”
“Thanks. She’ll get right on it,” said Laura. Mariel was the most formidable persona Laura used. She was smart, powerful, and had the might of InterSec to back her up publicly. Mariel’s phone calls were always taken if someone was in, and the first returned if someone was out.
Terryn moved papers on his desk. “I’ve done some preliminary research on the SWAT team. Gianni, Sinclair, and Sanchez have done paid detail and other side work at a dinner club called the Vault.”
Laura nodded. “I know. I was there last night. Tylo Blume, of all people, owns the place. He offered me a job.”
“He’s an arms merchant,” said Terryn.
Laura’s eyebrow flicked up. “That I didn’t know. His firm is running some of the security for the Archives ceremony I’m working on for Guild public relations.”
Terryn dropped a corner of his mouth slightly. “Laura Blackstone and Janice Crawford have both met him?”
Laura shrugged. “It’s a coincidence. I’ve been avoiding meeting with him about the Archives ceremony as Laura Blackstone because that ups the pressure to say yes to what he wants. Senator Hornbeck’s the actual connection. Foyle mentioned to him that he wanted a backup for Corman Deegan, his SWAT-team druid who’s out of commission. If you remember, Terryn, you were the one that wanted more contacts with local enforcement. I created Janice the first time Deegan called in sick.”
Terryn leaned back in his chair. “I remember. I also remember saying I thought the situation might produce a persona conflict.”
She had no choice but to agree. “Fine, you were right. I didn’t think the two personas would
Similar Books
