SECRETS AND SPIES
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Edward
I sense bodies walking past which means dad and I are being left alone. When I open my eyes the empty kitchen confirms it. For a few seconds, I'm scared to look at dad's face in case it's not him. Crazy I know, because even though he's thinner, he feels like my dad, he smells like my dad, this man is definitely my dad.
Eventually, I pull away from our tight embrace and stare at his face. He's aged ten years since I last saw him and has the look of someone who's been in hospital for weeks; gray and tired. His hair is bedraggled and I guess he's lost at least ten pounds in weight but his eyes still have the Cullen sparkle. It'll take more than three weeks of incarceration to dim those.
"I thought you were dead," I manage to say in a croaky voice.
"I was, briefly," dad replies and shakes his head. "Can I sit down, son? Death and resurrection is a tiring business."
I help him over to a barstool where he grabs hold of my hands and squeezes them, probably to show me he still has some strength left which is a good sign.
"I tried to electrocute myself, Edward. There was no other way. Hunter had realized I was never going to give him what he wanted which meant you were in danger. He'd threatened to torture and kill you if I didn't cooperate and I believed him. The red-haired woman, Victoria, did CPR on me and got me back. I was cross with her when I came round but she explained to me who she was and assured me that rescue wasn't far away. I'd never seen her before until then."
"I'll thank her when I see her, dad, but don't think about what happened. There's plenty of time for that. Do you know when you can come home?"
"Not tonight, Edward. I'm being taken to hospital to be checked over which is fine by me so don't fuss. We'll have plenty of time to talk. There's obviously been a lot going on that I'm not aware of, but I'd like to know when you realized I was missing?"
That question would either need a long answer or the briefest of answers. Dad obviously doesn't know that he's legally dead, which is going to take a lot of explaining and preferably after he's had a rest. I give him the brief version.
"About three days after you were abducted and that's all I'm saying now. Don't worry about anything. I've got a hundred difficult questions that need answering and not by you. There's plenty of time for that. What matters most is you're okay. One thing though, I do want you to meet someone before you go to the hospital. Are you fine with that?"
Dad nods his head so I get up and jog down the corridor to James' office. I find Bella sitting at his desk going through the drawers. James has gone now. All that's left is a pool of blood so the opportunity to stamp on his injured leg has gone. I don't say anything as I grab Bella's hand and pull her out of the chair. As we're heading for the kitchen I put my arm around her shoulders and kiss the top of her head.
"I want you to meet the other man you risked your life for, Bella."
"Are you sure now's a good time?"
"Now's a perfect time. I've decided never to put off anything ever again. Today has been the first day of a new life for me. It started in the best possible way, with you, and it's ended better than I could ever imagine. Even though the hours in between have been stressful, they've made me realize what's important to me. Honesty for one thing."
"No more secrets?"
"No more secrets, Bella, starting with … what's the rust bucket's name?"
"What!"
Bella stares up at me like I'm nuts. "After everything that's happened and of all the things you want to know, it's that?"
"Yup."
"Okay, it's Norris."
"Norris?"
"Think about it."
After dad left for the hospital in a helicopter and before Bella and I leave the villa, the Colonel takes me to one side to explain to me why he didn't tell me dad had survived his suicide attempt before the villa was stormed.
"We couldn't guarantee he'd live through the shoot-out, Edward. If I'd told you at the Command Centre that he was still alive and then he was killed, this would've been too much for you to bear. You do understand?"
"Yes, I understand," I reply, adding, "Will you thank your team for what they did. I'll be eternally grateful for their bravery."
I'm too mentally exhausted to ask him any questions about why they'd let me believe dad was dead for such a long time. That could wait until later. I did get the opportunity to thank Victoria for not only reviving my dad but for swerving the Jeep when Laurent was shooting at Yorkie's car. She told me then that dad still had a heartbeat when she got to him. His pulse was weak and whoever was with him had presumed he was dead. The guard and the guy who'd been in the basement with him the whole time had made a run for it rather than wait for Hunter to take his anger out on them, leaving her alone with dad to explain to him who she was.
Victoria also explained that Bella had called the Colonel to let him know that Yorkie had offered to rescue us from the house. Bella must have done this when we were both sulking in separate bedrooms after our tiff. The Colonel texted Victoria and told her to follow Yorkie's car when it left my street, as even though she was carrying out Hunter's orders to find Edward, she was also watching out for Li's people who were in the city. Her job was to ensure Bella and I got to the villa safely as prescribed by both Hunter and the Colonel.
I understand now why Bella was being secretive. She was under orders from the Colonel and had no alternative but to do as he said. But the more I find out about who was speaking to who, and about all the players that were caught up in this situation only being given part of the story, the more certain I am that even now I'm still being kept in the dark about how and why my dad got involved in all this. I'm determined to find out more, but this won't happen until I get away from here and have time to pull myself together.
Despite my request to the Colonel and Yorkie to arrange for a media blackout, word had already got out that dad had been found alive before he left for the hospital. I don't want him to find out that he's officially dead until he's had the chance to recover from his ordeal but it's inevitable now that someone will mention it. For this reason, I've insisted I go to the hospital because if anyone is going to tell him, I'd rather it be me.
When I get to his room and before the doctors have had a chance to descend on him, I give him a brief outline of what happened. At first, he takes the news in his stride and actually finds the fact there's been a funeral comical until he considered the pain and the worry I, and other people like Sue and Jenks, have been through. I tell him not to be angry but to concentrate on his recovery. He agrees, saying he's too tired to digest what happened anyway.
As Bella and I are leaving, dad asks me to arrange access to the internet so he can read his obituaries. His request makes me laugh out loud. I agree to do this but also tell him that Jenks has bought a copy of every newspaper that carries one so he can read those at his leisure when he gets home.
Bella and I are advised to spend the night in a hotel. The police are concerned that whoever is left of Li's organization may put a contract out on me before the police have had the chance to round them all up. Drew has also managed to avoid capture and is still at large. We'll have an armed guard outside our room all night, only I hope he or she is deaf as I have an awesome night of passion planned and I'm not in the mood to be discreet.
The night isn't without additional drama though. I wake up several times in a cold sweat. I keep seeing Laurent's body in my dreams. He's face down on the ground, only when a soldier turns him over, despite the dreadlocks he has my face. After Bella calms me, she says this could be a delayed reaction to the trauma I've been through which is to be expected. She admits to me then that she's been treated for PTSD which is probably what I'm suffering from.
The following morning we're allowed home where I'm expecting to be greeted by a wall of reporters. Our army driver tells us the police have been batting them away by saying we weren't intending to come back here which is a relief. The police have assured me they'll be keeping a watch on the house to keep people away, but mainly as a precaution until everyone involved has been arrested.
As soon as we get out of the vehicle, Sue is out her door like a rocket. She flings her arms around me and hugs me which is lovely but I just want to get indoors. Bella apologizes for ripping her blood-spattered skirt but Sue isn't bothered at all.
"I'll speak to you later, Sue. I'm tired and need to rest," I practically plead.
Sue checks me over and gives me a final hug. "That's fine, darling boy. We'll talk when you're ready. If you need anything just let me know"
Once indoors I turn to Bella and take her in my arms. "I need some space. Can you leave me be for a few hours? I need time to think for a while."
"Okay," she replies and kisses me on the cheek. "I'll make some calls and have some 'me time' in the bathroom. Give me a shout when you want coffee."
I head for dad's study and close the door behind me. Taking a seat at his desk which is still covered in white residue from where forensics dusted for prints, I close my eyes and concentrate on everything that's happened since I got the early morning call from Yorkie, culminating in finding my dad alive in the villa. I don't know the whole story yet, but the information Bella gave me this morning about what the Colonel had told her bothers me. Still nothing makes sense, so I'm positive there are more revelations to come. What they are I don't know but before I speak to the Colonel again I'm going to try my damndest to find out, which means making some phone calls and doing some research on the internet.
After a few minutes of quiet meditation to put myself in the right frame of mind, the first thing I do is call Mike.
"Jesus, Edward, are you okay?" he puffs. He's out running which is good as we won't be overheard.
"Yep! We're all fine, Mike. I'll fill you in on what happened later. Have you had any luck with what I asked you to find out?"
"Holy Shit, Edward, do I? You won't believe what I have for you. I hope you're sitting down?"
Bella has given me space all afternoon which I've appreciated. We're just thinking about ordering take-out when Colonel Henderson turns up unexpectedly. On the doorstep, he proffers his hand in greeting and for a second I don't feel inclined to shake it. He notices my hesitation and smiles after which we do shake hands.
"Edward, you deserve an explanation. I'm not going to wait until your father comes home. You need to know what was going on behind the scenes before and after Carlisle disappeared."
"An explanation but no apology?"
"Listen to what I've got to say first. If you feel you need an apology afterward then we can discuss what I need to apologize for. Can we go inside?"
"Okay, but this had better be good. I've had enough secrets for a lifetime. I expect total honesty now."
The Colonel follows me through the house. Instead of heading for the lounge, I escort him into the kitchen and point to a chair.
"This is where all the important conversations happen in my father's house so make yourself comfortable. Coffee?"
"I'll make it," Bella offers.
I sit facing the Colonel and look him in the eyes. "No bullshit."
"No bullshit."
"Okay, fire away."
"About eighteen months ago, the CIA suspected James Hunter had been indirectly involved with plans for a new guided missile system ending up in Chinese hands, but they didn't have absolute proof. The CIA contacted us for help. At first, we didn't believe what the CIA was telling us as the Hunter we knew wouldn't have done such a thing. Not long after, Laurent was released from a military prison and dishonorably discharged. He went straight from prison to work for Hunter which rang alarm bells in the military, so we began to take what the CIA had suggested seriously. Because Victoria had previously been in a relationship with Laurent, she offered to pretend to resign from the military and rekindle her romance with him in order to find out what was going on."
"That takes some guts," I interrupt. "Definitely above and beyond the call of duty."
"Exactly. So, Victoria became part of Hunter's team about three months before Isabella joined. She reported that his operation had two sides - the totally legitimate protection contracts, and all the illegal shit he took on. He kept the personnel totally separate as well which was clever.
"A year ago Isabella's Brigadier reminded me that she'd come to the end of her three-year service break. I don't know if Isabella told you but she'd been allowed to take a three-year service break after an incident where several members of my Unit were killed. Because she still had a year to serve, I suggested to the Brigadier that we should plant Isabella in Hunter's company as Victoria wasn't making much progress. He agreed. Genuinely, I wasn't expecting Isabella to find out anything of value. Hunter was well-aware she was a hundred percent straight so he wouldn't have put anything illegal in her path.
"In April this year, Hunter was contacted by a guy called Jaques van Wyk from a technology lab in South Africa. This is just guesswork, but we believe Jacques was already under pressure to give up trade secrets to the Chinese Mafia in Johannesburg. Knowing what the Chinese could do and how far their reach was, Jacques arranged for your father and you to be protected. He threw money at Hunter to get this done but didn't tell your father he could be in danger as he wanted him to carry on with his work."
"Really!" I exclaim.
"Yes, unbelievably callous in my opinion. We had no idea about any of this until Hunter employed Isabella to look after you. She reported to me and I informed the CIA, who began to wonder what Carlisle was working on. We didn't connect Carlisle to South Africa until we started monitoring his phone calls and investigated the traffic between him and the laboratory. The CIA put two and two together and came up with a probable solution and immediately put a watch on Carlisle, but not on you. I told them you were being looked after by Isabella so you'd be fine."
Bella chuckles at this.
"Unfortunately the watch wasn't 24/7 and the CIA missed his abduction. They'd only put a tracker on the Mustang and monitored phone calls and occasionally followed him when he was out. They listened in to a call from South Africa on the night before he was last seen and heard him telling Jacques he didn't want anything more to do with the project. Jacques warned Carlisle he could be in danger. I understand he wrote you a letter after that.
"The CIA decided to increase his protection but it was already too late. They put a full-time watch on the house that afternoon but he'd already been abducted, we know now by Hunter. They only realized this when the Mustang left your drive on the night of May 30th. They could see it wasn't Carlisle driving and the driver was wearing a mask.
"We believe Laurent managed to get his hands on a John Doe from the city's morgue. They already had the car keys so one of them transferred to the Mustang and then drove both cars to the Marin Headlands. They placed the body in the Mustang and set it alight, then drove off. The CIA got to the car and realized very quickly it wasn't Carlisle Cullen. This is when they put two and two together and realized he'd been abducted."
"So that's when you decided a cover-up was the best option?"
"Yes. Things moved very swiftly. We debated whether to tell you it wasn't Carlisle, but people above my pay grade decided it was best you didn't know. We weren't expecting to find Carlisle alive so we didn't want to get your hopes up."
I've been watching the Colonel's face while he's been speaking and I've noticed his eyes dropping down to the table more than once. I'm not an expert in body language, but I know when someone is lying. I slap my hand on the table and lean over towards him.
"Nah! Sorry, Colonel. That's total BS. Yorkie was up there less than half an hour after it happened and the decision had already been taken to tell me my dad was dead. When Yorkie got back to the precinct, my contact details were already waiting for him on his desk. A few hours later, he was given the private phone number of dad's dentist, even though no-one asked the family who his dentist was. More importantly, I'm not accepting for one minute that people above your pay grade were available in the middle of the night to take a decision to do something so completely and utterly unethical and in such a short space of time, or that you would release a body for burial knowing my dad might still be rescued."
"I'm sorry you don't believe me, Edward, but it's true. The CIA had just found out that the South African lab had been blown to smithereens along with all the scientists your dad had been working with. If your dad decided not to cooperate with his captors, his chance of survival would be about the same as a mouse in a cage with a hungry python. We had to let whoever had him think they'd got away with faking his death. A funeral with a genuinely grieving family was what they needed to see."
"So you knew it was Hunter who had my dad all along?"
"We knew he was involved because we were watching Laurent. We saw Laurent break into Carlisle's study and his basement but we didn't know for certain whether Hunter was the one who was actually holding Carlisle until two days ago when we began monitoring his calls.
"We received intelligence from South Africa that Li's men were behind the explosion. Li isn't part of the Chinese Mafia - he works for himself. He'd got to know about the laboratory and their connection to Carlisle. We're ninety-nine percent certain that Laurent double-crossed Hunter and told Li that Carlisle's device would be the lab's property, so even though Hunter had already 'sold' the device to Li in a deal, Li sent his men to the lab to get his hands on it so he wouldn't have to pay Hunter. This was all taking place before Carlisle was abducted."
"Are you guessing here?"
"Educated guessing, yes. But I've got every reason to believe our version of events is true. Hunter has agreed to cooperate even though it won't reduce his sentence by much."
"Do you know why Hunter got involved with Li?"
"Well, Li was the mastermind behind the missile system plans going astray. Hunter was deep in debt due to being turned over by Laurent, so it was Li's money that bailed him out. Hunter had worked out for himself what Carlisle was working on and decided to get the link device for himself, sell it to Li, and then presumably to dispose of Carlisle. When he found out from Jacques that he'd been visited by Li's men, he guessed he was being double-crossed, so he abducted Carlisle before Li could get his hands on him and then faked Carlisle's death so the police wouldn't come looking. I'm amazed Carlisle stalled for so long."
"So Li would've sold it to a Chinese tech company then?"
"Yes, he would've made a fortune. My guess is he already had one lined up. We won't get anything out of him though. He's a Chinese citizen so there's bound to be a diplomatic furor about this, but the Chinese can go fuck themselves. Hunter has already promised to sing like a canary about the guided-missile plans, so Li won't see the outside of a prison ever again."
I sit back in my chair and stare at the Colonel's face which is a few shades redder than when he first sat at the table. I've listened to what the Colonel had to say as I would always have wondered what his story was if I spoke first.
Because of what Mike told me on the phone a few hours ago and the phone call I've made since, I don't know how I've held myself together through all this bullshit. The story the Colonel has concocted is definitely plausible. I'd guess Bella is convinced. Not for much longer though.
"Okay, Colonel, but there is one glaring issue with your elaborate and, most people would think, believable story, although I don't imagine you'll be able to resolve it to my satisfaction."
"Really, Edward? What's that?"
The Colonel shifts in his chair when he replies to my statement, almost like he's preparing to make a run for it. I haven't played football for years but if he does run, I'm primed and ready to tackle him to the ground and beat seven shades of shit out of him before he leaves this house. I'm so fucking angry now my blood pressure must be off the scale. I have to remain calm though as the moment hasn't arrived yet when I can accuse this uniformed son-of-a-bitch of being the biggest fucking liar on the face of the planet.
"My problem with your story is this, Colonel. If, as you've just told me, the CIA knew what my dad was working on, and understood the significance of what the device could do if he ever succeeded in producing it, which we all agree could be mind-blowing for society and could tip the balance of power to whichever country controlled it, why the hell did the CIA allow him to be in cahoots with a laboratory in South Africa? Are you asking me to believe that our government would permit this level of technology to leave our shores without any sort of safeguards?"
Colonel Henderson's mouth drops open and it's obvious he hasn't got an answer. Bella is looking shocked as well. I give him time to think of a reply, but as I expected, nothing comes.
As I watch the Colonel scrabbling for a response, I think back to what has been bothering me from the day I read dad's letter. I'm just a regular guy who knows absolutely nothing about the technology world or intellectual property theft, but for me, this is the fundamental question that cannot plausibly be defended. It only occurred to me when we were being driven from the villa to the hospital to check on dad. I'd always known something didn't add up, and this is what has been bothering me all along as the whole story surrounding my dad's work and the cover-up that was obviously happening didn't ring true. It doesn't matter though - I only asked the question because I wanted to see the Colonel's reaction, and also because I already have the answer.
I've known the Colonel has been lying to me from the moment he opened his mouth, so this is where I take over the conversation. Some of what I'm going to say is still guesswork but I'm not going to hold back as I'm a hundred percent certain that what I'm going to say is a hundred percent accurate.
"I'm sorry, Colonel, I've listened to all this crap you've been spilling about the CIA and the Army and the police coming together to try and find my dad, but actually what you've told me is complete bullshit, and you promised me no bullshit, remember?"
"Edward, I ..."
"No, it's my turn to talk now and your turn to listen. My dad and I have been to hell and back over the last three weeks. On top of the mental and physical trauma my dad has been through and the financial hit my family has taken, I've been lied to, terrorized, shot at, and injured. One of my employees who is also a close friend was shot and could've died. I've been told my dad is dead, twice, and then you come and sit at my table and give me a story so full of holes, you could catch fish in it."
I hear Bella beside me gasp. I'd actually forgotten she was there I'm so fixated on the Colonel's face. I'm on a roll now and the Colonel is staring at me wide-eyed.
"You and the CIA were only ever after Li first and Hunter second. Li was the main target here. Admit it. Rescuing dad alive was ... a bonus. His life and mine weren't relevant to this exercise at all. You say you didn't know where my dad was being held all this time. I don't believe you. With modern technology at your disposal, you knew exactly where he was, but you watched and waited for Li to come and get him. Without Victoria, my dad would be dead by now. He would've been classified as unfortunate collateral damage in a successful joint military/police exercise. So look me in the eye, Colonel Henderson, and tell me straight. You knew Hunter had my dad from day one, didn't you?"
I stare into his eyes and I know I'm right. Bella is holding her breath I can tell. The Colonel swallows a few times and blinks. I've got him. He doesn't answer, which doesn't surprise me, so I carry on.
"I'm going to tell you a story about what really happened, Colonel, and it all started with the theft of those missile plans.
"The connection between the South African lab and my dad has been an elaborate Sting operation to catch Li from day one, but you never had the decency to let my dad into your secret plans. I suggest this all started a long long time before April; probably last year, and definitely before you placed Bella in Hunter's company. You tell me the CIA suspected Hunter and Li had been involved with the theft of missile plans and I can imagine you wanted Hunter behind bars oh so badly. So you and the CIA concocted a very dangerous plan to catch them both, and my dad has been nothing more to you than bait to catch a very big fish.
The Colonel goes to say something but nothing comes out of his mouth. His cheeks are flushed already and I haven't even started yet.
"Early this year, the CIA visited Jacques van Wyk in South Africa and put a proposal to him. In return for lifetime protection from the Johannesburg Mafia, Jacques agreed to help them with the Sting to catch Hunter and Li. Following CIA instructions, in April he asked my dad to get involved with the brain-link project and hired Hunter to protect dad and me on the pretext that he was being threatened by industrial spies. I presume I was only being protected to make Jacques' story more believable to Hunter and to massage Hunter's curiosity about what my dad was working on.
"Your whole plan hung on my dad agreeing to get involved with Jacques first of all, and then Hunter taking on the protection job. By the beginning of May, everything you planned was falling into place. The next step was to hijack the half-million dollars that Hunter was supposed to receive for the supposed drug deal, which I'm guessing could've been part of the Sting operation all along? I presume it was the CIA who diverted the payment. Laurent didn't have the money in his bank at all, did he?"
"How do you know all this?" the Colonel snaps.
"Victoria told Bella and Bella told me. Well, Victoria told Bella that she guessed Laurent had ripped-off Hunter. I just put two and two together but don't worry, there's more to come."
"I told Edward everything," Bella says cutting in. "Edward asked me to tell him what I knew, and I couldn't see any reason why he should be kept in the dark any longer."
"So, Colonel, the CIA ensured Hunter was in a desperate financial situation, and even though you couldn't guarantee this, you suspected he would turn to Li to sell my dad's knowledge as Li specialized in industrial espionage and intellectual property theft. If he'd gone elsewhere or not gone anywhere at all, you would've called everything off and tried something else.
"You told Bella you'd been monitoring Hunter's calls for two days. That's bullshit, Colonel. The CIA would have been monitoring Hunter's calls from the moment they suspected he was involved with the missile system theft. Once Hunter contacted Li and offered him my dad's work, you swung into action. What you didn't plan for was Li sending his people to South Africa to double-cross Hunter and threaten Jacques, even though it played into your hands. Jacques called my dad under duress to try and get the prototype off him to bypass Hunter, but thankfully for what happened after, he managed to warn my dad he was in danger."
"This is ...?" the Colonel spits but he can't finish his sentence. His face has hardened as I've been watching him. He really does look like a pissed Jack Nicholson now.
"Jacques reports to the CIA that he's had a visit from Li's men who've backed off. Jacques's phone call to my dad convinced these thugs that Jacques didn't have the device and wasn't likely to get it in the future and that my dad didn't want anymore to do with it or them. The CIA then instructs Jacques to call Hunter to tell him to 'triple Carlisle's protection as two of his scientists had been kidnapped by the 'Chinese,' which was bullshit. You're listening in to Hunter's calls, and as you hoped, he presumes he's being double-crossed by Li. And then you wait for my dad to be abducted by Hunter in order to get the device off him and to stop Li from getting to him first. You or the CIA watch dad's house, and surprise surprise, my dad is whisked away. After that ... well I can guess the rest. Anyway, Colonel, you asked me how I know all this. Do you really want me to tell you?"
The Colonel nods. His face has drained of color now. He may need CPR after he hears what I say next.
"Because two hours ago, Colonel Henderson, I spoke to Jacques van Wyk, who as you know is currently living a very nice life in hiding in Melbourne, Australia. He's with his wife and children, and the other seven scientists who were supposedly splattered across a suburb of Johannesburg and their families. Relocation to a friendly country, new identities, and a pension for life was part of the CIA's deal. They took it and they ran, straight after being visited by Li's people. My friend, Mike, tracked Jacques down in less than an hour. It's really quite easy if you work for Microsoft where everybody knows everybody else and everything that's happening online. Technology is a wonderful tool when you have the best industrial spies in the world a phone call away."
The Colonel swallows hard but he knows there's no way out of this.
"Jacques has been wracked with guilt about what happened to my dad and told me the whole story, including how we, and I mean the CIA, blew up his laboratory with his agreement, which was then blamed on the Chinese. I mean what idiot would believe only scientists were killed in an explosion. No admin staff, no janitors, no technicians. I presume the South African government was in cahoots with what you guys were up to as they had to cover-up the small matter of non-existent dead bodies. Jacques said he would never have agreed to help the CIA if he had any idea my dad's life would be in danger and he only cooperated until he found out dad had been found dead. When he heard he was still alive, Jacques admitted he wept."
The Colonel shifts in his chair again and he looks shocked.
"So, you knew Hunter abducted my dad and he was being used as bait to get to Li?"
"Yes."
"Yes what, Colonel?"
"Mostly everything you say is correct. We knew Hunter had your dad from day one. CIA operatives watched your father being abducted from outside this house. They followed him to the villa and we've been watching it from a distance ever since."
"You fucking asshole."
The Colonel doesn't flinch. He's probably been called much worse over the years.
"We'd been listening in to Hunter's calls long before we sent Isabella to work for him. Hunter was our only avenue to getting Li off the streets. He'd been too clever - always using third parties to do his dirty work. Most of the people who worked for Li ended up dead not long after to cover his tracks. Hunter is the only contact we know of who's survived for more than a few months.
"We thought if we could tempt Hunter into working with Li again and arrest them both together, Hunter would implicate Li in the missile plans theft to reduce his sentence. We let Carlisle work on the device for a month until we presumed he'd either made the device, or was well on his way to working out how to create it, which tied in with diverting the bank payment. Everything you said after that is true. If the plan had gone off course - like if Carlisle had worked out how to create the link in a few days, we would have intercepted the intelligence getting to South Africa and closed down the Sting as you call it. What we didn't plan for was Carlisle pretending to cooperate with Hunter and stalling him for almost three weeks. We thought the transaction with Li would only take a matter of days and before you went through the performance of a funeral."
"It wasn't a performance, you bastard. There were hundreds of grieving people there."
"So you lied to me as well," Bella says and I can hear pure contempt in her voice. "Practically everything you told me was untrue but most importantly you should've warned me Victoria was a plant. I could've killed her when I shot at the Jeep. You put her life and mine unnecessarily at risk, and as we're both serving soldiers, I'm certain that's against the military code. Didn't you trust me to keep her status a secret?"
"I think the expression is I was 'economical with the truth,' Isabella. You didn't need to know all the information we've heard at this table, or that Victoria is still an agent. Your job was to protect Edward, which you did, admirably."
I jump up from the table and Bella grabs hold of my arm. I guess she thinks I'm going to launch myself at him.
"Get out of Carlisle Cullen's house!" I hiss.
The Colonel looks shocked but stands without verbally retaliating and walks towards the door. Before opening it he turns to me and Bella.
"I apologize unreservedly for what you and your father have been put through. A report will be written about what happened and I will ensure you receive a copy, although some parts of it may be redacted. In the meantime, I hope your father makes a full recovery from his ordeal."
"Not good enough," I say.
"Probably not, Mr Cullen, but that's all you're going to get. We were successful in trapping our targets and that's what I was ordered to do. You may not like our methods, but where national security is concerned sometimes we have to take an unorthodox route. I'll see myself out.
I stagger back to the kitchen and slump into the chair where he'd been sitting and put my head in my hands. Bella slides her arms around my shoulders and kisses my cheek.
"It's over, and I'm so proud of you," she says.
I pull her onto my lap and hold her tightly. "No, Bella. When my dad says it's over, it's over. Right?"
"Right."
Yikes!
I don't know how the Colonel can sleep in his bed at night. What an irresponsible thing to do to Carlisle and Edward.
I hope you enjoyed learning what was really going on. How Edward didn't thump the Colonel I've no idea. Good old Mike, using Microsoft's technology to track Jacques down. These pesky tech companies know everything about everybody. I would bet Jacques wouldn't have gone completely off the radar and would've let friends in the industry know he was okay and not 'splattered' across Johannesburg. Bella feels massively let down by the Colonel which is totally understandable.
So now you know Edward's instincts were correct. He had a feeling there was something much bigger going on in the background. Nothing made sense to him from the moment he read his dad's letter. From then on, he was caught in a web of secrets, and the other players who were also caught were only given selective information so they could all play their part. Edward may not be Bruce Willis, but he would certainly make a decent Columbo.
Final chapter coming (crying emoji). Carlisle comes home and Edward returns to Colorado. A few loose ends to be tidied up and, most importantly, he finally finds out why the rust-bucket is called Norris. Any guesses out there?
So, Happy Christmas to everyone who celebrates, and Happy Holidays to everyone else. My Christmas has been completely stuffed as Boris our PM has put my area on a very strict lockdown, so now there will only three of us celebrating instead of a houseful. We'll still have fun though. See you all on the 26th.
Joan x