Déjà Vu
Chapter Two
His clothes still damp from the rainstorm, Matt sat near Section Chief Stetson's desk and relayed the events of the evening, while the section chief paced back and forth across the room, occasionally shooting cryptic glances at his wife. Mrs. Stetson, seeming to understand his signals, sat quietly in a chair and listened. Supervisor Beaman leaned against the wall, a mysterious, knowing look on her face. He couldn't quite make out that look, and it unnerved him. He held his cool as best he could and finished his story.
"Are you telling me, Granger, that you have no idea who this woman is, and you have no idea where the envelope is?" Lee was yelling, but he didn't care.
"Sir, I don't have an I.D. on the woman…yet. I observed a few clues in her car and intend to follow up on them first thing tomorrow…" Matt shifted in his seat, more uncomfortable under Lee's scrutiny than from his damp clothing.
"Thank you, Agent Granger." Mrs. Beaman was crisp, no-nonsense. "Please step outside and wait for me in the bullpen."
Matt quickly got up and left the room, glad for the break from the tension. By protocol, he had called Mrs. Beaman first and told her the entire story—after hearing in no uncertain terms how displeased she was that he had interrupted the final few minutes of her twins' spring concert. Now he had had to tell the story all over again to his trainer and the section chief. I haven't even finished my probationary period, and I've already ticked him off. Just great, Granger. I wonder where I'll be riding a desk for the next 30 years.
"Look Amanda, I hate to get on your back, but this whole thing is way out of line. He's your trainee—I refuse to take the heat for this one. Besides, we all recognize this scenario. I sure hope you didn't use it as a training exercise." Francine had mellowed over the years, thanks to Efraim's influence, but she was in a bad mood. The sarcasm was back with a vengeance.
"Francine, you know—"
Lee cut Amanda off. "Excuse me, Amanda. Francine, you know that Amanda would not share that kind of information with new recruits or with most of our other agents. That's personal, need-to-know. Let's decide what we are going to do about tonight's incident. Have you heard from the back up? Did the envelope ever get to him?"
"No. The whole plan for Granger's backup fell apart. The guy was supposed to be wearing a Phillies cap, but some bozo failed to check the Nationals' schedule."
Lee rolled his eyes and looked over at Amanda, who sighed and leaned her chin on her hand. "Next you'll tell me that the restaurant was full of people in Phillies caps, right?" he asked.
"Uh, yeah." Francine looked sheepish. She put on her professional face again. "Part of the reason for the drop was that this contact has had to go deep. Granger was to pass the information to the back up in case he was followed. And, as you know, he was. Apparently this group is new—the CIA has not been able to trace its source. It could be backed by al Qaeda or Hamas or who knows what else. Our instructions to the contact were to find out the source and follow up on a couple of tourists from Dubai who were detained at Dulles last Friday. They may have been recruits for this new organization. This could be the group that we think is targeting the Capitol building. We have a follow up drop scheduled for Thursday. We've got to get the information from tonight's drop—waiting until Thursday may be too late. On top of that, we have had three attempts on federal agents in the past week, if you don't count the thugs who chased Granger. As you know, the entire reason we were brought in on this is because of a possible movement against our intelligence network. Since we left the office this evening there's been a lot of buzz from the different agencies about it."
At the mention of the threat on the Capitol and the intelligence agents, Lee had stopped pacing and gone back to his desk. He slammed his fist on the desk. "Damn it! Why was this new kid given such a hot run?"
Amanda spoke quietly. "Lee, Granger has come through training with flying colors—he's my best freshman agent. He came highly recommended from Army Intelligence. He handled himself well tonight. He was innovative, and he sure proved he can elude the enemy."
Lee was sarcastic. "Yes, he has a good pair of legs. That doesn't help the fact that the information we need is floating around out there, and we are no closer to getting a handle on the threat against the Capitol—or who is threatening the intelligence community. And, we have an unknowing citizen possibly at risk or attempting to decode the information—we don't even have a background on this woman." Lee started to pace again, running his hand through his hair. He stopped and turned towards Francine and Amanda. "Look, I want this fixed before tomorrow's drop, or I'm going to make Granger an analyst by the end of the week."
"Yes, sir." Francine didn't wait around to hear anymore. She left the office to give Granger the bad news.
Lee, still angry and tense, stood in the middle of the office. Amanda got up and went over to him. "Matt reminds me of another agent." She paused and gave him a meaningful look. "You know he had no choice." She smoothed the front of his shirt and Lee relaxed a bit.
"Amanda," he began in a calmer tone, "I was already a seasoned agent. This is different. Granger doesn't know all the ramifications of what he has done. I did, and I did everything I could to find you—using a network of contacts I had taken years to develop. Besides, you weren't in any real danger until you started to try to solve the case on your own."
Amanda kept her hands on Lee's chest. "It was the first time we worked together. You got the information back, and the case was solved."
"Yes, you solved the case…and you saved my life. And you have had many opportunities since then to save it again." Lee's expression softened.
Amanda slipped her hands around to Lee's back and embraced him. "And you've done the same for me. Look, we can't do anymore tonight. Let's go home."
Lee looked down at Amanda. He used to kick himself every time Amanda was endangered, wishing he had never given her the package that day. But he had learned over the years that it was the best thing he had ever done. God, I love this woman. He kissed her briefly before moving away to grab his jacket. As Amanda picked up her purse, Lee placed his hand in the small of her back and began to guide her out of the office. He looked down at her and grinned suggestively. "I think we were in the middle of something before we were rudely interrupted."
SMKSMKSMKSMKSMK
Dressed in workout clothes, Matt made his way to Phillip King's office first thing in the morning.
"You're looking your professional best, Granger. I can see you're using your training well."
King was known for his sarcastic humor. Matt took it in stride. He had worked with Phillip a few times, and knew he saved his barbs for people he liked.
"Hey, Phillip. I need a little help from you or Leatherneck. I need to get into the gym at Georgetown University."
"I think we can help you out there. Let me take a quick look at the computer to see what kind of I.D. is required. When do you need it?"
"Now."
Phillip let out his breath. "Friend, we do have a backlog here. How serious is this?"
"I think you know the section chief pretty well. He's suggesting that I move to Analysis if I don't fix a problem I created by tonight."
Lowering his eyebrows, Phillip concentrated on the screen and typed in a few words. He looked up at Matt again, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Well, we can't have that. Jamie would go nuts having to work with you. I'll get right on it while you fill out the paperwork. Oh, and Granger, you don't even look like a Georgetown student. Here." Phillip grabbed a Georgetown t-shirt off the shelf behind him and tossed it to Matt. "Put that on before you get to the campus."
SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK
Matt was running out of workout equipment. Since he was trying to keep an eye on the door, he could not very well face the window and amble away the day on a treadmill. It did not help that he had run all those miles last night. He switched to a new weight machine that allowed him to face the door. Matt glanced around the room one more time, and then sat down at the machine. A tall brunette walked in, her head down as she fumbled with the zipper on her jacket. He tried not to stare, waiting for her to look up. He looked away for a moment, and then looked back. Oh no. She's staring at me. She's made me! Matt had hoped to meet with her away from the door; he did not want her to run.
Sarah recognized the eyes immediately. It's the runner from last night. Oh, my gosh! How on earth did he find me here? The thought of him tracing her here made her want to panic. She searched her memory. What did Dad and Mom tell me to do if someone was stalking me? Sarah had used avoidance patterns to ditch a few annoying guys in her day, but never under duress. Quickly she turned around and walked out. I just needed some time alone! Jeff had been acting strangely again, and she was certain that her mother was right. She had rushed through their thesis meeting and begged out of lunch. A good run on the treadmill would have done wonders…
Now I'll get my run all right—in and out of the buildings on the Georgetown campus. Sarah ducked into a doorway and peeked back down the hall. The guy from last night was following her. He was coming quickly. Sarah made a mad dash down the hall, out the door, and around the corner. She cut through some bushes and ducked down between two parked cars. She looked around and couldn't see the man anymore. I wonder if I lost him? Sarah looked down.
A pair of Nike running shoes moved into her field of vision, just feet away. "Look, I won't hurt you—I just need to talk for a minute."
Sarah looked up to see Matt standing there. She tried to back up, but because she was crouching, she just fell over backwards.
"Can I give you a hand? I promise I won't hurt you."
Sarah pushed herself up and started backing up. "Look, I don't have your envelope. If you don't leave me alone, I'm going to call the cops."
Matt tried not to show his reaction. Maybe she was bluffing. "I can see you don't have the envelope. Is it still in your car? Is it in your gym bag? We could go back into the gym…"
"I came in my workout clothes, and I walked. I don't have the envelope with me."
Sarah had not stopped walking backwards towards the building. She was looking for an opportunity to turn and run.
Matt was relieved. She still had it. He needed that envelope, and he didn't want to scare the girl away. "Look, I'm in a lot of trouble. I need to get that envelope back. It could be a matter of life or death." Matt looked into Sarah's eyes. He willed her to trust him.
Sarah wavered, her thoughts conflicted. Examining his face, she realized that he was quite handsome in a boy-next-door sort of way. And he seemed sincere. It's those intense, gray eyes. They don't look like a murderer's, or some terrorist's. In fact, this guy looks like an all-American hero or something. Oh, get ahold of yourself, Sarah. I have no idea if this guy is for real…what if he's just using the envelope thing as a ruse to stalk me? She looked back at his eyes. He did not look like a stalker—he looked like he was desperate.
"I'm telling the truth. I don't have the envelope. I hid it somewhere."
"Can we go get it right now?"
"Nice try. You aren't following me anywhere."
"How about we meet somewhere after you get the envelope?"
"You haven't even told me your name. How do I know you aren't some crazy person, or a terrorist, or mafia, or something?"
"You don't. But I need you to trust me. Please." They had reached the entrance to the gym again. Matt could see she was wavering. He tried another tactic. "Look, if someone saw you take the envelope from me, you could be in danger. Have you seen anyone strange hanging around?"
Sarah swallowed hard. If this guy was for real, he had a good point. She should have been keeping an eye out. But, I still don't know who this guy is and whether I can trust him. "Only you—I mean, you're the only strange person hanging around me... Okay, meet me at the student union in an hour. I'll be at the south entrance. Don't think about trying anything. I may just call the cops and have them meet us there." Before Matt could answer, Sarah ducked inside the building and ran down the hall. He didn't want to make a scene again, so he followed her carefully, keeping well out of sight. He couldn't afford to lose her now.
SMKSMKSMKSMKSMK
Sarah looked behind her. Students and faculty walked in various directions, but the strange man was nowhere to be seen. She took a roundabout route to her campus apartment and let herself in, making sure he was not following her. Just then, her cell phone rang. Oh, I can't tell Daddy. He'll send fifty agents over here and shut down the entire campus. Besides, for some crazy reason, I'd hate to see that guy get arrested.
"Hi, Daddy!" Sarah forced herself to sound lighthearted.
"Hey, Sarah." Lee hesitated. He sensed something was off. Maybe she's afraid I'll hassle her about Jeff. Maybe she doesn't want to live near her parents. She is going on twenty-four years old. "Look, I just wanted to see if you were all right. You left in a hurry last night. Mom and I thought you might have been feeling pressured…or something."
"Oh, are you talking about the apartment?"
Lee recognized the tactic. She doesn't want to talk about Jeff with me. Just go slow, Stetson. "Yeah. Look, you don't have to move into your grandma's place. Your mom hasn't had the heart to do anything to it since Grandma died, and I know a gal like you…"
"Oh, Daddy, I love Grandma's apartment. It's just, you know…I've been living on my own, and my friend Chelsea had invited me to stay with her for a month or two..." Sarah looked out the window. No sign of Granger, but there were two men in black standing in the doorway of the apartment across the way. They were definitely out of place… Sarah decided that she'd had her fill of strange men. This had gone too far. At least I could live next door to a couple of armed agents.
"Sarah? Are you still there?" Lee was becoming concerned. His gut was telling him that something was wrong. He just didn't know what.
"Oh, sorry, Daddy. I was thinking. You know what, I think it would be great to live in Grandma's apartment. I could ride the Metro to work to beat the traffic. I could save a lot of money in expenses, I could have the place to myself, and I wouldn't have to look for a place for a while. How soon could I move in?"
"Well, you could move in tonight, if you want. Your mom just cleaned the place last weekend. She tries to keep it nice in case someone comes to visit."
"Well, all my stuff is already in boxes. It was something to do when I had writer's block. I could bring some over this afternoon, then borrow Mom's SUV and get the rest another day."
"I'm sure she won't mind. You still have your key, right? …And hey, tell Jeff he is welcome any time. We missed him at dinner last night."
"I'll let him know. And about last night: Jeff had to take an evening class. That's why he couldn't come to the birthday party. I know he wished he could have been there. Uh, I'd better go if I'm going to get my stuff together. Love you!"
"Love you, too, Pumpkin. Goodbye."
Sarah stood away from the window in the shadows and looked out. The two men in black were still there. She stepped back. She needed a plan. How was she going to get out of the apartment? This was graduate housing. People didn't hang around outside here during the day. She had no protection… She picked up her phone again.
SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK
Matt looked on as the two men followed Sarah to her apartment, and then stepped into the shadows to watch. He thought he recognized them from the night before. Only, one is missing. Where is he? Matt peeked around the building towards the parking lot. A black SUV like the one the thugs had driven last night was parked across the street. He debated with himself about getting backup. No time—besides, how will I explain this to the chief? We can't even arrest these guys. He glanced at the two men in the shadows, then back at the SUV. Target number one.
SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK
The doorbell rang. Sarah checked the peephole, and then opened the door for her neighbors Tyler and Shawn. They were always looking for ways to get Sarah's attention; despite being hard at work on their own thesis projects, they were happy to come over. "Thanks for being willing to help me with these boxes, guys. I have to be at an appointment soon, so it won't take long." The three headed down the stairs, arms loaded with boxes, and out to the parking lot. Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah could see the two men in black staring after them. One of the men started to make a call on his cell phone.
The three students had the car loaded in two trips. Sarah gave each of her friends a quick hug and jumped in her car. The two men had not followed her. She hadn't bothered to deadbolt the lock, so she hoped they thought she was coming back. "Bye, guys! I have a couple more weeks to finish moving, so I'll see you again. Sorry, I have to run. Thanks again!" She quickly backed out of her space and drove the car out of the lot, not noticing the man slumped over the wheel of the SUV, his ringing cell phone unanswered.
SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK
Matt crept back into the complex's courtyard. The men were gone. Hoping they were checking on their friend, Matt dashed up the stairs and knocked on Sarah's door. He had to get her out of there, fast. When he had no answer, he looked around and then quickly picked the lock in the handle. Finding the deadbolt unlocked, he let himself in, shutting the door behind him. A cursory glance told him that the people who lived there were in the process of moving. A few boxes lay about, and the counters were mostly bare. Quickly checking the rooms, he was relieved that Sarah wasn't there—lying on the floor or something. I hope they don't have her… I need to get to the Student Union. Matt heard steps outside. He peeked around a corner and tried to see out the window by the door. The two men were just outside, on the walkway. Hearing voices coming towards them, the two men quickly walked away.
Matt heard a door slam next door and then made his move. Checking outside the door carefully, he slipped out of the apartment and went down the stairs as fast as he could. Hitting the ground, he could hear the two men shouting to each other above him. The few students who were there came out of their apartments to see the ruckus. Matt looked back and saw the men, stalled by the students. He sprinted out of the housing complex.
