Part 7
"Gunny?" I was surprised but happy to see him walk through the door. He was wearing a dark business suit with a red tie that made him look very handsome in an unGunny sort of way. I rarely saw him in civilian clothes.
"Hello, ma'am. Sir, it's good to see you," he added quickly when he saw Harm.
"You're the boyfriend?" Harm asked somewhat inanely.
"Yes, sir." Gunny looked pleased at the prospect and winked at me.
I smiled back. I trusted Victor, and even though this would definitely be an odd twist on our usual working relationship it would be much better than working with someone I didn't know. It seemed he was attached permanently to the CIA these days.
"It's good to see you, too," Harm said as he walked over to shake his hand. "I thought you were still in South America."
"I was until yesterday morning but the plans have been changed, so here I am."
I asked him if he was hungry and offered him some soup.
"I'm starving, ma'am. That sounds great." He dropped the small bag he was carrying onto the floor and took off his suit jacket.
"You better lose the ma'am if you're going to be my boyfriend," I said. Gunny laughed and Harm rolled his eyes as I headed to the kitchen. I returned with another bowl of soup and joined them at the table and we all began to eat.
"So," Harm asked between bites, "what is this about plans being changed?"
"Well, your job is still to get close to Ms. Mitchell. That part hasn't changed. Ms. Gale still wants you to try to get her to trust you."
"He's doing a great job," I offered. "You should see the way she looks at him."
Harm shot me a warning look and asked, "So, what's different?"
"They've decided to shake things up a bit by trying to make her nervous. If she's guilty it might force her to tip her hand."
That was the most puzzling thing about this whole case. Frankie Mitchell led a solitary but seemingly exemplary life. She'd had a trouble free youth, been at the top of her class in college and law school, and had carved out an adequate practice for herself as a tax attorney. She lived modestly in this small town, was civic minded and had never even gotten a traffic ticket. Her life was the picture of a normal, average American life. But that also meant that no one would ever suspect her of being involved in anything as unlikely as terrorism, and so she would also be the perfect candidate if someone could manage to seduce her into helping them. Finding her name in the records smuggled out by Esmelda before her death wasn't conclusive on its own, but it couldn't be ignored either.
Harm's initial rage at 'the lawyer in Maryland' seemed to have subsided once he'd met her and had now been replaced with his own questions about her guilt. It was clear from his early reports to Catherine that he was starting to believe that if she was involved it was only as an unwitting accomplice. I wasn't so sure, and I thought he sounded a bit too protective when he asked, "And just how do you plan to make her nervous?"
Gunny pushed his empty soup bowl away and said, "Well, as you know the wire taps on her phone have turned up nothing so far, and before we do anything else the Colonel and I are going to get into her office one night soon and see if we can find anything incriminating. But unless we find a big fat file labeled Terrorist Contacts we are probably going to move on to plan B."
"And what would that be?" I asked.
"I'm going to start following her around town, ma'am-Mac." He grinned as he corrected himself. "And make sure that she notices me. Shortly after that she's going to start receiving some anonymous threatening phone calls. Then I am going to make a noisy entrance as your boyfriend at the office which will set off alarm bells when she realizes that I am the same man that has been following her around. That will make her suspicious of Mac, too, I'm afraid," he said to Harm. "But we want her to feel threatened and watched every minute of the day."
"Well that will certainly scare her, but what will it prove?" Harm seemed a little indignant at the idea.
"Well, if she's innocent we hope she will go to you for help, sir. From what I understand she doesn't seem to be close to anyone else."
Harm thought about it and then nodded reluctantly in agreement. "That makes sense. Then I can get her to help me go through her files. She does work for several charities, and it's possible that someone has used her without her knowledge. It should be easy enough to spot the connection with her cooperation."
"Exactly. But if she is guilty and she is knowingly involved with Sadiq then we assume she will try to make contact and let him know that there's a problem."
"I don't think that will happen, but you're right. We have to be prepared." Harm really wanted to believe that she was a victim and for his sake I hoped it was true. It would make his role in this much easier for him to live with if he could somehow end up helping her instead of sending her to prison.
"I am not questioning your estimation of Ms. Mitchell, sir. But Mac and I have to operate as if she's guilty, and I only hope that if any of Sadiq's men show up in town I'm able to spot them first because that's when things will really start to get dangerous," Gunny paused and looked pointedly at me then back to Harm, "for all of us."
Harm's eyes narrowed as he said coolly, "You don't need to remind me of how dangerous this is."
"No sir," he answered, "I'm just letting you know that the welfare of my partner will be my first consideration."
They sized each other up before Harm said with steel in his voice, "I'm counting on it."
I might as well have been invisible. What was it about men and posturing? I stood up noisily to get their attention. "Don't worry about a thing, boys," I assured them grandly. "I've got both of your sixes covered this time."
They both grinned and Harm said sheepishly, "Sorry, Mac."
Gunny stood up too and stretched. "Boy, I'm beat. I've been up since four this morning. If you don't mind I think I'm going to go to bed." He picked up his bowl and took it into the kitchen.
I followed him and asked, "So Gunny, what am I supposed to call you?"
Harm walked in carrying the other two bowls and put them in the sink, and we both waited for his answer.
We trailed each other back into the living room as he started rattling off the details of his make believe life. "My name is Cente Zamora. I'm in sales-communication systems. The home office is in Baltimore but most days I just call on customers so I am free to have lunch whenever I want with my beautiful live-in lover-Hannah McIntire. She just started working for this lawyer, Harry Baldridge, and he is a very generous boss who doesn't mind if we take long leisurely lunches." All of his attention was focused on me and his voice was deep and intimate until he glanced over at Harm and asked, "Do you, Harry?"
Harm glared and said, "I think you are enjoying certain parts of this assignment a little too much, Cente."
"I'm just trying to get into character, Harry, but I will make you one promise." I felt invisible again as the two men faced each other.
"What's that?" Harm met his gaze head on.
I was starting to get irritated at whatever macho game they thought they were playing, and I was ready to knock both of their heads together.
"Sir, I may have to do some underhanded things on this assignment-and I may have to do some things I would never do in my real life. For instance I know that I'm going to have to kiss the Colonel and show her a great deal of public affection to make our story believable. And I can promise you right now that I plan to enjoy every minute of it."
His grin was cocky as all get out as he picked up his bag from the floor and headed out of the room. Harm and I both were staring after him when he stopped suddenly and walked back to where I stood rooted in place. "I forgot something," he said softly. He kissed me on the cheek, whispered, "Night Hannah," and disappeared into the bedroom.
To be continued--
"Gunny?" I was surprised but happy to see him walk through the door. He was wearing a dark business suit with a red tie that made him look very handsome in an unGunny sort of way. I rarely saw him in civilian clothes.
"Hello, ma'am. Sir, it's good to see you," he added quickly when he saw Harm.
"You're the boyfriend?" Harm asked somewhat inanely.
"Yes, sir." Gunny looked pleased at the prospect and winked at me.
I smiled back. I trusted Victor, and even though this would definitely be an odd twist on our usual working relationship it would be much better than working with someone I didn't know. It seemed he was attached permanently to the CIA these days.
"It's good to see you, too," Harm said as he walked over to shake his hand. "I thought you were still in South America."
"I was until yesterday morning but the plans have been changed, so here I am."
I asked him if he was hungry and offered him some soup.
"I'm starving, ma'am. That sounds great." He dropped the small bag he was carrying onto the floor and took off his suit jacket.
"You better lose the ma'am if you're going to be my boyfriend," I said. Gunny laughed and Harm rolled his eyes as I headed to the kitchen. I returned with another bowl of soup and joined them at the table and we all began to eat.
"So," Harm asked between bites, "what is this about plans being changed?"
"Well, your job is still to get close to Ms. Mitchell. That part hasn't changed. Ms. Gale still wants you to try to get her to trust you."
"He's doing a great job," I offered. "You should see the way she looks at him."
Harm shot me a warning look and asked, "So, what's different?"
"They've decided to shake things up a bit by trying to make her nervous. If she's guilty it might force her to tip her hand."
That was the most puzzling thing about this whole case. Frankie Mitchell led a solitary but seemingly exemplary life. She'd had a trouble free youth, been at the top of her class in college and law school, and had carved out an adequate practice for herself as a tax attorney. She lived modestly in this small town, was civic minded and had never even gotten a traffic ticket. Her life was the picture of a normal, average American life. But that also meant that no one would ever suspect her of being involved in anything as unlikely as terrorism, and so she would also be the perfect candidate if someone could manage to seduce her into helping them. Finding her name in the records smuggled out by Esmelda before her death wasn't conclusive on its own, but it couldn't be ignored either.
Harm's initial rage at 'the lawyer in Maryland' seemed to have subsided once he'd met her and had now been replaced with his own questions about her guilt. It was clear from his early reports to Catherine that he was starting to believe that if she was involved it was only as an unwitting accomplice. I wasn't so sure, and I thought he sounded a bit too protective when he asked, "And just how do you plan to make her nervous?"
Gunny pushed his empty soup bowl away and said, "Well, as you know the wire taps on her phone have turned up nothing so far, and before we do anything else the Colonel and I are going to get into her office one night soon and see if we can find anything incriminating. But unless we find a big fat file labeled Terrorist Contacts we are probably going to move on to plan B."
"And what would that be?" I asked.
"I'm going to start following her around town, ma'am-Mac." He grinned as he corrected himself. "And make sure that she notices me. Shortly after that she's going to start receiving some anonymous threatening phone calls. Then I am going to make a noisy entrance as your boyfriend at the office which will set off alarm bells when she realizes that I am the same man that has been following her around. That will make her suspicious of Mac, too, I'm afraid," he said to Harm. "But we want her to feel threatened and watched every minute of the day."
"Well that will certainly scare her, but what will it prove?" Harm seemed a little indignant at the idea.
"Well, if she's innocent we hope she will go to you for help, sir. From what I understand she doesn't seem to be close to anyone else."
Harm thought about it and then nodded reluctantly in agreement. "That makes sense. Then I can get her to help me go through her files. She does work for several charities, and it's possible that someone has used her without her knowledge. It should be easy enough to spot the connection with her cooperation."
"Exactly. But if she is guilty and she is knowingly involved with Sadiq then we assume she will try to make contact and let him know that there's a problem."
"I don't think that will happen, but you're right. We have to be prepared." Harm really wanted to believe that she was a victim and for his sake I hoped it was true. It would make his role in this much easier for him to live with if he could somehow end up helping her instead of sending her to prison.
"I am not questioning your estimation of Ms. Mitchell, sir. But Mac and I have to operate as if she's guilty, and I only hope that if any of Sadiq's men show up in town I'm able to spot them first because that's when things will really start to get dangerous," Gunny paused and looked pointedly at me then back to Harm, "for all of us."
Harm's eyes narrowed as he said coolly, "You don't need to remind me of how dangerous this is."
"No sir," he answered, "I'm just letting you know that the welfare of my partner will be my first consideration."
They sized each other up before Harm said with steel in his voice, "I'm counting on it."
I might as well have been invisible. What was it about men and posturing? I stood up noisily to get their attention. "Don't worry about a thing, boys," I assured them grandly. "I've got both of your sixes covered this time."
They both grinned and Harm said sheepishly, "Sorry, Mac."
Gunny stood up too and stretched. "Boy, I'm beat. I've been up since four this morning. If you don't mind I think I'm going to go to bed." He picked up his bowl and took it into the kitchen.
I followed him and asked, "So Gunny, what am I supposed to call you?"
Harm walked in carrying the other two bowls and put them in the sink, and we both waited for his answer.
We trailed each other back into the living room as he started rattling off the details of his make believe life. "My name is Cente Zamora. I'm in sales-communication systems. The home office is in Baltimore but most days I just call on customers so I am free to have lunch whenever I want with my beautiful live-in lover-Hannah McIntire. She just started working for this lawyer, Harry Baldridge, and he is a very generous boss who doesn't mind if we take long leisurely lunches." All of his attention was focused on me and his voice was deep and intimate until he glanced over at Harm and asked, "Do you, Harry?"
Harm glared and said, "I think you are enjoying certain parts of this assignment a little too much, Cente."
"I'm just trying to get into character, Harry, but I will make you one promise." I felt invisible again as the two men faced each other.
"What's that?" Harm met his gaze head on.
I was starting to get irritated at whatever macho game they thought they were playing, and I was ready to knock both of their heads together.
"Sir, I may have to do some underhanded things on this assignment-and I may have to do some things I would never do in my real life. For instance I know that I'm going to have to kiss the Colonel and show her a great deal of public affection to make our story believable. And I can promise you right now that I plan to enjoy every minute of it."
His grin was cocky as all get out as he picked up his bag from the floor and headed out of the room. Harm and I both were staring after him when he stopped suddenly and walked back to where I stood rooted in place. "I forgot something," he said softly. He kissed me on the cheek, whispered, "Night Hannah," and disappeared into the bedroom.
To be continued--