need to move even faster than expected; some of these targets were too good to waste. This Washington, D.C., satellite engineer would have access to some critical systems they needed.
But … would he be able to deliver the targets? As unsettling as it was, he forced his mind to run through the various scenarios. What if he
wasn’t
ready yet?
He coldly replayed his cocky assurances to Proxy’s lieutenant. Proxy didn’t suffer fools lightly. Just last year, another man had held Marco’s current position in the organization. He’d had a drinking problem and despite repeated warnings, became garrulous when smashed. In the crowded club one night he had held forth about masterminding the idea behind a very profitable—and until then, very secret—underground tunnel that had permitted an undetected flow of drugs and people into the country. Waving a drink at a fascinated crowd, he described how the tunnel originated on a small island off the gulf of Florida and ended inside a false fireplace in a house on shore. The next morning, he hadn’t even remembered his late-night loquaciousness, but someone else sure had.
One week later, twenty million dollars’ worth of cocaine and heroin had been captured in transit. A few hours later, Marco’s predecessor had been found floating facedown in the Gulf, not far from his marvel of now-useless engineering.
Marco had been promoted the same day. He grimaced at the memory. An undercover cop must have been among the customers in the club, but no one had ever figured out who it was. Unsettling, but inevitable.
Marco looked again at the screen before him, planning his strategy. Even if he had to move prematurely he could still deliver. Despite Tyson’s pointed concerns, they already had enough assets to do a credible job. Heck, he could even move a girl from Atlanta to Washington, D.C., if he had to. But he was pretty sure they wouldn’t have to.
He was careful, and he was good at the game. He would not trigger Proxy’swrath. He looked out his darkened window into the neon-lit club and smiled. Quite the contrary. Soon … very soon … he would be indispensable. And Proxy rewarded loyalty well.
He picked up the phone and made a quiet call.
In the club outside Washington, D.C., the local manager put down his phone and went in search of one particular dancer. He found her reapplying her makeup, and pulled her into his office for a chat. She left the office with a small smile and went in search of the target.
Within twenty minutes, a lonely satellite engineer was leaving the club with a very beautiful girl on his arm. He couldn’t believe his good fortune, couldn’t believe that she had noticed
him
, had
wanted
him!
He knew he was breaking every rule in the book, breaking all the regulations surrounding his security clearance. His higher-ups would condemn his actions … if they ever found out. Which they wouldn’t.
He looked at the gorgeous girl beside him and hurried to usher her into his car. He was sick and tired of long nights in front of his computer. It was his personal life and the security freaks would never find out. An opportunity like this didn’t come along very often.
N INE
I s Mr. Woodward’s secretary available, then?”
Ronnie tapped her pen nervously against Tiffany’s kitchen table. The bay window alcove was a light-filled oasis, but Ronnie’s eyes weren’t focusing on her surroundings. She was concentrating all her positive energy on the woman at the other end of the phone. Maybe if she willed it hard enough—
The secretary came on the line. “I’m so sorry, Miss Hanover, but he just isn’t available for a conversation right now. I know this is your third call, but he only takes phone calls from prospective students by appointment. As I said before, if you’d like to schedule a fifteen-minute phone call, we’d be happy to arrange that for you, as you seem like a motivated young lady.”
“I don’t—see, my schedule is just so
But … would he be able to deliver the targets? As unsettling as it was, he forced his mind to run through the various scenarios. What if he
wasn’t
ready yet?
He coldly replayed his cocky assurances to Proxy’s lieutenant. Proxy didn’t suffer fools lightly. Just last year, another man had held Marco’s current position in the organization. He’d had a drinking problem and despite repeated warnings, became garrulous when smashed. In the crowded club one night he had held forth about masterminding the idea behind a very profitable—and until then, very secret—underground tunnel that had permitted an undetected flow of drugs and people into the country. Waving a drink at a fascinated crowd, he described how the tunnel originated on a small island off the gulf of Florida and ended inside a false fireplace in a house on shore. The next morning, he hadn’t even remembered his late-night loquaciousness, but someone else sure had.
One week later, twenty million dollars’ worth of cocaine and heroin had been captured in transit. A few hours later, Marco’s predecessor had been found floating facedown in the Gulf, not far from his marvel of now-useless engineering.
Marco had been promoted the same day. He grimaced at the memory. An undercover cop must have been among the customers in the club, but no one had ever figured out who it was. Unsettling, but inevitable.
Marco looked again at the screen before him, planning his strategy. Even if he had to move prematurely he could still deliver. Despite Tyson’s pointed concerns, they already had enough assets to do a credible job. Heck, he could even move a girl from Atlanta to Washington, D.C., if he had to. But he was pretty sure they wouldn’t have to.
He was careful, and he was good at the game. He would not trigger Proxy’swrath. He looked out his darkened window into the neon-lit club and smiled. Quite the contrary. Soon … very soon … he would be indispensable. And Proxy rewarded loyalty well.
He picked up the phone and made a quiet call.
In the club outside Washington, D.C., the local manager put down his phone and went in search of one particular dancer. He found her reapplying her makeup, and pulled her into his office for a chat. She left the office with a small smile and went in search of the target.
Within twenty minutes, a lonely satellite engineer was leaving the club with a very beautiful girl on his arm. He couldn’t believe his good fortune, couldn’t believe that she had noticed
him
, had
wanted
him!
He knew he was breaking every rule in the book, breaking all the regulations surrounding his security clearance. His higher-ups would condemn his actions … if they ever found out. Which they wouldn’t.
He looked at the gorgeous girl beside him and hurried to usher her into his car. He was sick and tired of long nights in front of his computer. It was his personal life and the security freaks would never find out. An opportunity like this didn’t come along very often.
N INE
I s Mr. Woodward’s secretary available, then?”
Ronnie tapped her pen nervously against Tiffany’s kitchen table. The bay window alcove was a light-filled oasis, but Ronnie’s eyes weren’t focusing on her surroundings. She was concentrating all her positive energy on the woman at the other end of the phone. Maybe if she willed it hard enough—
The secretary came on the line. “I’m so sorry, Miss Hanover, but he just isn’t available for a conversation right now. I know this is your third call, but he only takes phone calls from prospective students by appointment. As I said before, if you’d like to schedule a fifteen-minute phone call, we’d be happy to arrange that for you, as you seem like a motivated young lady.”
“I don’t—see, my schedule is just so
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