I Ask The Questions

Chloe And The Mice

Chapter 10

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En route to MI-6

"So you know the gate guard?" Yas asked Ruth as they drove though London.

"Not socially, he works the front desk over as six sometimes. His last name is Goldman."

"Ruth, what do you think is happening?"

Ruth stared out the cars passenger side window. "I think the Americans accidentally stumbled across a monstrous plot against the UK that neither they nor we can fully grasp. The Mexican cargo container was a declaration of war. If someone in the intelligence services is involved then the terrorists will be able to stay one step ahead of us. He probably thought that Agent O'Brian was sent here from the U.S. specifically to find him. By attacking her he tipped his hand and alerted us. I hope that it turns out to be a fatal mistake."

Colin's flat

Chloe used Colin's first aid kit to patch up her leaks. It would be rude to drip blood all over his apartment. He also invited her to help herself to anything she wanted so she put a pot of coffee on and checked the cupboard. Mmmmm, a can of vegetable beef soup looks good. She also found a small sewing kit. She put the soup on the stove, took off her shirt, and began sewing a couple of buttons on to replace the lost ones. She didn't want anyone to think she was a slut. She had taken the shoulder holster off and set it on the table next to her.

Chloe heard a clicking noise from the door. Someone was trying to unlock it! It was much too soon for Colin to have come back. They must have followed her! She grabbed her pistol and slipped into the bedroom leaving the door open just a crack. Then the front door opened.

The safe house

Adam drove Jo to the street where Chloe's safe house was located. The police had blocked off both ends of the block and the bomb squad robot was sitting forlornly in the middle of the street near Chloe's car. The car itself had three detectives going over it looking for fingerprints and other clues. Near the corner where Adam and Jo were standing was another car with a couple of large bullet holes in it parked in front of an Italian restaurant with its front window smashed out. There were some small blood smears and droplets on the sidewalk next to the car. If Chloe was wounded, it wasn't too severe.

Jo identified herself to the head detective, a large red faced man. "As far as we can tell, the sniper was on the roof of that block of flats." Waving a beefy hand at a large building about 600 metres away. "The bomb was put in quickly and wired to the driver's side door. I suspect that since this is a well traveled street, the bomber was afraid he'd be seen. That's why he didn't do a more elaborate bomb attached to the ignition system. Still, it was practically invisible from the driver's side. Fortunately Miss O'Brian opened her door from the passenger side."

"Any clues as to the shooter's identity?"

"No ma'am."

"Well we're going to check the house."

Adam and Jo went through the house carefully. Nothing seemed out of place. Most of Chloe's clothing was still in the suitcase. Jo took the clothes out of it carefully. She pulled out a music CD. "This is odd."

"What?" Adam walked over. "The Magic Flute by Mozart, it appears that Chloe likes opera."

"But Chloe didn't bring a CD player with her. And why pack only one CD?"

Adam's brow furrowed. "A program?"

"Exactly! And one she didn't bring in the briefcase. I don't think she wanted anyone to know she brought it."

"We'd better take it with us. Maybe Malcolm can figure it out."

Adam opened the wardrobe. Hanging inside was Jo's green dress from last night with Chloe's black pumps sitting underneath it. The sight of the pumps made his bruised foot ache. Jo opened her purse and pulled out a small scanner. She switched in on and a small red light immediately started flashing. Adam saw the light and nodded. There was a transmitter of some kind nearby.

"I'll go check the kitchen," he announced to whatever bug might be listening.

"Good idea, I don't think there's anything in here." Jo replied moving quietly around the room. The signal seemed stronger near the wardrobe. On a hunch Adam took the green dress out and carried it to the bed. The signal followed. He carefully ran his hands over the dress searching. Then he pulled a small device the size of a pill from under the hem of the skirt.

"Relax, it's just a locater beacon, it doesn't transmit sound."

Jo approached to take a better look. "It's one of ours."

"Yes, one of Colin's little toys." Adam rolled it between his fingers. It was covered with adhesive and little burrs to make it stick to cloth.

Jo frowned, "So it is someone in British Intelligence."

Adam glanced over at her. Jo was beautiful no matter how bad a mood she was in. "Not necessarily, we stick a lot of these things on a lot of bad guys. It's possible that some of them might find them and refurbish them. But there's a very good chance one of us is involved. They didn't have to follow us last night. All they had to do was track Chloe down after the party."

Jo looked thoughtful. "They didn't try to break in and kill Chloe in her sleep."

"Too risky," Adam said. "Don't forget, I went home with her. They probably assumed I was spending the night with her." He noticed Jo's angry scowl. "Which of course I wasn't. They would have had to go up against two agents. The bomb was safer."

MI-6

"So Officer Goldman didn't come in today?" Ruth asked the security officer.

"It's his day off. He's not due back until Saturday."

"What about his logbook? That's a classified document."

"I assumed he would protect it and bring it in on Saturday to be locked up."

"You're assuming an awful lot." Ruth's tone was chilly. The grey eyes narrowed with contempt. "I would like his home telephone number."

"I don't think I'm authorised to give it to you."

Yas had a slight smile. "I suppose we'll have to ask your supervisor. I hope the subject of your casual attitude toward secret documents doesn't come up in the conversation."

A few minutes later as they were driving through London, Ruth was on her cell phone. "Mrs. Goldman? I'd like to speak with Isaac." . . . . . . . . . "When do you expect him back?" . . . . . . . . . . . . "Thank you, I'll contact you if we find him. Goodbye." She folded the phone and dropped it into her purse. "Isaac Goldman never came home last night. His wife thought he was at work. We do work odd hours sometimes."

"They got the logbook." Yas gripped the steering wheel tighter. "That's how they got the license number to Chloe's car."

Ruth pursed her lips. "I don't think we're going to see Officer Isaac Goldman, at least not alive."

Colin's flat

Emily Wells toted the large laundry basket into Colin's flat and kicked the door shut. There was something odd. Colin should be at work but she could smell fresh coffee and soup. She glanced around. "Colin! Are you here!?" Then the bedroom door opened and a strange young blond woman emerged dressed only in a bra and dirty torn trousers. She had a band aid on her forehead and a bandage wrapped around her right hand. She also had some nasty looking bruises and several small scratches on her face and arms. She was pointing a pistol at the floor in front of Emily's feet. Did Colin get a girlfriend? Surely he would have mentioned it. "Who are you?"

"I have the gun. I ask the questions. Those are the rules." The strange woman responded. "Now who are you?" Her accent sounded American or maybe Canadian. Emily wasn't very good at these things.

Emily eyed her defiantly. "Emily Wells."

The woman's eyebrows raised slightly. "Colin's mother?"

"Yes."

"Prove it."

"How?"

The young woman pondered a couple of seconds. "Colin has a cell phone that only his mother knows the number to. Tell me the number."

Emily recited the number. The woman still looked suspicious. "Got any more proof?"

Emily spotted an album behind Chloe on the bookshelf. "There's an album on the shelf. Take it down and open it."

"No, you take it down and open it."

Emily slowly walked to the shelf, pulled down the album, opened it, and showed Chloe a photograph. Chloe checked the photo. It was about twenty years old and showed Colin with another young man and young woman, presumably siblings, with a younger version of Emily and a mature man, probably his father. Colin still had a full head of hair back then.

Chloe switched on the Beretta's safety. Colin would get so pissed if she shot his mother. "OK, I believe you."

"Very well, I'll just be on my way."

"No you won't. I said I believe you, I didn't say I trusted you. You're going to stay here with me until Colin gets back."

Emily's jaw set. "Very well, if that's the way it's going to be you can at least tell me your name young lady!"

"Chloe O'Brian, I'm a friend of Colin's."

"You don't seem very friendly!"

"I've had a bad day,." Chloe poured out two cups of coffee then poured the soup into a bowl.

"So you work for MI-5?"

"No, I'm American. I'm just visiting."

"What do you do?"

Chloe finished sewing the last button on. "Things that are none of your business." She put on the dirty shirt and buttoned it up. She drank some soup and opened her laptop. Chloe wasn't going to sit around on her butt all day when traitors and terrorists were running around loose.

Thames House

Malcolm was working at his station when a new icon appeared. He clicked it and a new message appeared. 'Malcolm, this is Chloe. Made any progress?'

He typed back. 'No, not yet. BTW we have your purse. Your PDA was destroyed.'

' : ( I recommend getting the gate guard's logbook from the party.'

'Way ahead of you. The guard is missing and so is the log.'

Chloe paused. These guys were playing for keeps. Emily asked "What are you doing?"

"Government stuff, don't talk to me while I'm working. Go watch TV or something." She was aware of Emily leaving the kitchen. 'Have any Brit agents recently returned from Mex?'

"Who's that?" Ruth asked Colin.

"Chloe O'Brian, we're brainstorming." Colin's fingers flew over the keyboard trying to find the info.

"Can you trace her?"

Malcolm paused. "She's set up an untraceable link. It's bouncing from one satellite to another and constantly rotating. I can try. The pattern isn't completely random. It's following a program she entered into her computer and she has to change it once in a while. If I manage to distract her long enough and keep her from changing it I might get a lock. She's very good but so am I. I'm just afraid she might notice and it'll just . . ."

"Feed her paranoia?" Ruth interrupted. "Drive her deeper underground?"

"Yes."

"Never mind then, just carry on. Any progress?"

"I'm trying to see if any of our agents have recently returned from Mexico. I've cleared MI-5 but I can't get past the firewalls at six."

Ruth made a tight lipped smile. "I've got a suggestion."

Colin's flat

Chloe felt a slight smile tugging at the corner of her lip. Ruth's suggestion was a good one. MI-6's financial records weren't as heavily guarded as their mission and agent records. Between herself and Malcolm they were managing to break through. She was in The Zone. Then she heard Colin come back.

"Mum! What are you doing here?"

"I was just dropping off your laundry but your new girlfriend wouldn't let me leave!"

"She's not my . . ."

"Walking around half naked waving a gun in the air! That's no way for a proper young lady to act! Scared me half to death! And so rude!"

Chloe noticed MI-6 paid for two first class tickets to Mexico City on the 1st of October.

"Chloe's just a . . ."

"I don't like her! Not one bit! Colin you're a handsome lad. You can do much better than her!"

On November 3rd MI-6 purchased one return ticket and set aside a lot of money for the purchase and shipment of a . . . Oh my God!"

"Colin you should meet Carol McDonald's daughter Beth! She's very pretty and smart as a whip! She's a real estate broker and you have to be really smart to do that!"

Chloe's brow furrowed. They would have to get airport security footage to see who left for Mexico October 1st and compare it to the people who came back on November 3rd. Malcolm was much more familiar with Heathrow's security systems. She'll let him do it.

"Chloe just needs to stay here for. . ."

"She's mean and bossy! And those crazy Americans are always running around shooting each other! I've seen them on the telly!"

Comparing faces is going to take a while. Chloe recommended that Malcolm should get Adam. He might recognize someone.

"Mother be quiet and listen!" Malcolm's voice was stern and commanding. Emily shut up. "There are some very bad people looking for Chloe, if they find her they will kill her and anyone else around her! You need to swear to never tell anyone about her. Understand?"

"Yes Colin."

"OK Mum, you can go home now and remember, not a word to anyone." Chloe heard what sounded like a kiss then the door opening and closing. She leaned back and rubbed her eyes as Colin entered the kitchen. "I see you've met my mother."

"Yeah, everything she said about me is true."

Colin smiled, "Of course, she's my mother. She wouldn't lie to me. And don't worry. She can be discreet if she needs to."

"If you say so. Malcolm and I think we may have a lead on who's after me."

Thames House

Harry looked up as Ruth entered his office with a packet. She looked disturbed. Her face was paler than usual. Harry got up and moved around the desk. To see the photos better of course. Her hair smelled like floral shampoo. No! keep your mind on the matter at hand!

Ruth pulled several photos from the packet. There was one she left in the envelope. She had already seen it once and didn't want to see it again. She would take it out only if Harry requested her to. She began. "On October 1st MI-6 sent two agents, Michael Cartwright and Kevin Rourke to Mexico, we believe to investigate and international arms smuggling ring. During the course of the investigation Agent Cartwright was killed by the smugglers."

"Of course he was." Harry said skeptically.

"The smuggling ring was broken up by the Americans and the Mexican government seized the warehouse. Agent Rourke returned with the body of Agent Cartwright.

"So where's Rourke now?"

"My contact says he requested compassionate leave to get over the death of his friend and partner."

"Yes, I'm sure he's very broken up over it." Harry picked up the photo of Rourke. A thin hatchet faced man with a mop of dark brown hair. We'll have to find him! What happened to Cartwright? A bullet in the back or maybe just a knife?"

Ruth gently placed her fingertips on the envelope and the photo she didn't take out. "Nothing so quick." Her voice cracked a little. " Someone very slowly and systematically broke every bone in his body."