Well this is it … the final chapter of "The Difference a Year Makes." It's been fun to write and share with you.
As state previously, I have no association with Covert Affairs other than a profound appreciation for the writers, crew and cast members who create some of the best characters on television … especially Christopher Gorham and Piper Parabo for giving such heart to Auggie and Annie.
Chapter 15 – The Takedown
Annie woke the next morning before the alarm, which was set for six. She sighed when she opened her eyes and saw that she could sleep for at least another half an hour. She quietly rolled over on her other side facing Auggie, and in the darkened room she thought she detected a slight smile twitch across his face. She moved the pillow and nestled her head in it, hoping to nap for a few more minutes. Just as she started to drift back to sleep, Auggie's arm draped over her body and pulled her closer to him.
Annie smiled and scooted closer to him tugging her pillow along and returning the hug. She kissed him softly on the lips. He returned the kiss and whispered, "We have a few more minutes to sleep, don't we?"
"Mmm huh," Annie murmured.
They wrapped their arms around each other and drifted back to sleep for a few minutes until both of their cell phones began ringing and vibrating on the bedside tables. They each groaned and rolled away from each other reaching and fumbling to answer the phones. Annie listened as one of Auggie's tech op assistants explained that Chang had received an early morning call from his illicit contact.
"OK," she said. "Auggie's on his phone with someone, too. It sounds like we have a little time, so I'm going to jump in the shower. I'll check back later."
Auggie ended the call from Tech Ops and started pulling clothes out of the closet and drawers, so he wouldn't waste any time when Annie was finished in the shower. He heard the water cut off and surmised by the rustling sounds she was toweling off. Annie opened the door wearing the robe provided by the hotel.
Auggie was sitting on the foot of the bed thinking about the just-concluded conversation.
"Aug, I'll dry my hair out here … there's a plug by the desk … so you can go ahead and hop in the shower. We don't want to waste time. Something on your mind?"
"Yeah," he answered as he got up. "Why would someone want to arrange an information drop at a jewelry store? I've been in this business a long time and this is a first."
"Jewelry store?" Annie asked as she leaned down to plug in the hair dryer.
"I guess a jewelry store. When Julian read back the transcript of the phone conversation, Chang's contact said to meet him at the Jewel Box shortly after it opened at nine o'clock."
"Jewel Box?" Annie asked. Are you sure it's the Jewel Box?"
"That's what Julian told me," Auggie said as he started to close the bathroom door.
"Auggie, the Jewel Box isn't a jewelry store," Annie said. Auggie stopped short of shutting the door.
"It's not?" he asked. "What is it, then."
Annie laughed lightly, because she had one up on Auggie. "It's the display green house in Forest Park. It has seasonal floral displays and is a venue for weddings and parties," she explained as she dried her hair. "I thought you said your parents brought you to St. Louis for ballgames and the zoo when you were kids."
"They did … but we never went to a greenhouse in Forest Park. We hung out with the lions, tigers and elephants. Four boys would have balked at a field trip to a floral display," Auggie said flatly and then his mouth turned up into the slightest smile.
"My mom has a whole series of photos of Danni and me in the Jewel Box with poinsettias and Easter lilies. Every time we visited her sister during a holiday, she'd dress us up along with our little cousin and we'd go to the park to get pictures in the gardens and the greenhouse," Annie said wistfully as she finished dressing.
Auggie showered quickly and while he dressed, quizzed Annie about the layout of the Jewel Box. As she began to describe the open area and paths she remembered, Auggie's phone rang. He picked it up and said, "Hi, Joan."
"Auggie, you and Annie are not looking for a jewelry store … you need to go to a greenhouse in Forest Park," Joan instructed.
Auggie chuckled. "We know. Annie visited there often when she was a kid. She was just describing its layout to me."
Joan smiled and shook her head. "You just love being two steps ahead of me, don't you?"
"In the interest of preserving my career advancement, I'm not answering that, Mrs. Campbell," Auggie said teasingly. Changing to a more serious tone he asked, "How do you want us to handle this?" His voice was pensive, because he knew he wouldn't be able to give Annie the proper backup she might need.
"We've already been in contact with the Bureau," Joan explained. "They have two teams available for backup. We're patching them in to our audio feed, so they can hear Chang and you and Annie. They won't move into the area until Chang is inside the building. They'll surround the building, but won't go in. Annie's the point person on witnessing the hand off of information."
"I'll try not to get in the way," Auggie said.
"It's not a matter of getting in the way, and you know it," Joan said sternly. "Please don't do anything that could get you injured. Your backup will be just a few feet outside the door. They're patched in, so they have ears on you, Annie and Chang. Once the handoff has been made, it becomes a Bureau matter for prosecution even though it's a CIA tech development project."
"I understand," Auggie said softly. "I'll be happy to be Annie's cover. We can wander around the building like we're checking it out for our wedding."
Underneath the cashmere turtleneck tunic she was tugging over her head, Annie said, "What?" at Auggie's last statement. "Hey, I'm here in the room. You can stop talking around me anytime now," Annie said in mock indignation."
Concluding the call, Auggie chuckled lightly as he explained, "Joan's orders are for you to witness the handoff of the classified information, for me not to get hurt and for both of us to let the FBI snag Chang and his contact when they leave the greenhouse."
Annie smiled as she watched Auggie walk to the closet to pick out a shirt. They'd been in the hotel room for just a couple of days, but he moved around the space as easily as if he were in his own home. She also noticed that he had just a little swagger, which she attributed to having the chance to get out in the field again. As he pulled on the shirt in front of the closet, Annie stopped as she walked past him and slipped her arm around his waist and laid her head against his left arm. "We'll get it done and be on our way back to Chicago after lunch … don't you think?"
"Yes, I do," he answered confidently.
According to their phone conversation, Chang and his contact were supposed to meet at the Jewel Box at nine thirty that morning. Annie and Auggie wanted to arrive at the Jewel Box a few minutes after it opened at nine o'clock. They could familiarize themselves with its layout and not look suspicious, because there probably would be other young couples checking out the building for their weddings.
Annie pulled into the parking lot and surveyed their surroundings. She squinted her eyes and let out a deep breath.
"Something wrong?" Auggie asked.
"No. I'm trying to decide the best way to describe the area to you. It's open with wide walkways leading up to the entrance and on the way to the entrance is a large fountain pool that's been drained for the season, because the fountain's not running."
"How many cars are in the parking lot?" Auggie asked.
"Several sedans, a couple of sports cars and a couple of SUVs. The Bureau's not here yet … there are no black Suburbans in the lot," Annie whispered. "They must have a secluded staging area … I didn't see any evidence of them driving in, and I looped around a couple of times before I pulled into the parking lot."
Auggie unbuckled his seatbelt and said, "I know … good job. Have I told you lately how proud I am of you and your work as an officer?"
As she opened the door and started to slide out of the Escalade, Annie turned to him, "And have I told you lately how much I appreciate your helping me become a better officer?"
Auggie grinned and chuckled self-consciously. "Glad I could be of assistance, Ms. Walker … where are we parked in relation to the building?"
"From where you're standing right now, the fountain is at your one o'clock and the front of the building is at your ten o'clock," Annie answered.
Auggie unfolded his cane, closed the car door and started walking toward the fountain. Annie closed her door and followed Auggie along the walkway. "Veer just a little to your right and in about three steps your cane should make contact with the base of the fountain," Annie advised. Auggie nodded and smiled only slightly. Almost any other officer, Auggie was sure, would be balking at working in the field with him. But Annie embraced being in the field with him and was unfazed by the necessity of giving him verbal clues about his environment.
"How many steps to my left do I need to walk to square myself up with the main entrance?" Auggie asked.
"Maybe five or six … I'll tell you when to stop," Annie said softly. "There. Stop."
Auggie stopped and turned with the fountain wall directly behind him. "Straight ahead?"
"Yes, straight ahead," Annie answered. "Why are you doing this? Why don't we just walk to the entrance together?"
"We could do that, but I wouldn't have as good a reference about the area, in case I need it," Auggie said. "It's just me and my spy craft," he added with his signature smile. "Can you describe the greenhouse for me?"
"It's almost three stories tall and it looks like a giant square tiered cake." Annie walked behind him until they were about thirty feet from the entrance. She caught up to him and slipped her arm through his left arm and then let her arm drop until their hands caressed.
Taking the last few steps toward the entrance, Annie turned her head to look behind them. She didn't see anyone approaching and did not see Chang's car in the parking lot. "Do you see anyone we're looking for?" Auggie asked.
"How'd you know I was looking for them?" Annie asked shaking her head.
"For starters, I felt your hair brush against my shoulder and I had a whiff of your shampoo. That doesn't happen unless you turn your head quickly," he explained. "You didn't answer my question. What did you see?"
"Nothing, yet," Annie replied. "When we get inside, let's take a quick walk around. Then we can hang by the entrance until they show up. Is that OK with you? Or, do you think we should do something different?"
"That's exactly how I'd do it," Auggie reassured her.
Entering the building, Auggie moved his hand to Annie's elbow. Annie took a few steps inside the greenhouse and stopped to describe the scene from the entrance to Auggie. She stepped in front of him and kissed his cheek as she checked the miniature microphone clipped inside his sweater. Auggie grinned before he said, "Am I coming in loud and clear?"
"We can hear you fine in Tech Ops," came the first response. A moment later, "You're coming in fine on the ground in St. Louis," an unfamiliar voice said. Annie gently patted Auggie's chest and took a couple of steps away to test her own microphone. They both heard similar responses to Auggie's test.
Annie stepped back to face Auggie, standing toe-to-toe with him. She wanted to tell him to be extra cautious, but didn't because their conversation was being monitored and recorded. She put her hands on his chest and he smiled and moved his left hand up her arm to her cheek to give it a gentle caress. "Now," he said, "why don't we spend a few minutes exploring the layout of this place."
They walked through the open area that was set up with white folding chairs for a wedding and then along the walkway that meandered through the permanent plantings and seasonal display. When they started walking around the path, Auggie released his grip on Annie and she stepped back to let him explore with his cane. She described the low walls, palm trees, potted displays and benches as they strolled along the looping path.
"And, now, we're back where we began," she said as Auggie's cane clanked against the metal and wood park style bench that was at the neck of the path. "Park bench," she said. "Standard size."
Auggie nodded. "It's open by the entrance, so they'll probably take the meet back in this area."
"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking, too," Annie said.
Auggie sat on the bench, folded his cane and laid it beside him. "I'll wait here. I'll be inconspicuous, but might be able to hear both sides of their conversation."
"I'm going to explore out near the entrance, so I can alert everyone when they arrive," Annie said walking away. She wandered through the area that was set up for the wedding and when she saw an Asian man come into the building, she began inspecting the way the front of the area was set up. The well-dressed man walked purposefully toward the path where Auggie had made himself comfortable. Only a few minutes passed before Chang came into the building carrying a large padded manila envelope.
"They're both in the building, I think," Annie stage whispered into her microphone.
Chang looked around and walked toward the path. Neither man paid any attention to Auggie sitting on the bench. Auggie heard their footsteps stride past him and not even slow to assess what he was doing there. The sound of their footsteps faded as they looped around the path behind the permanent plantings of the palm trees.
Auggie heard them talking in hushed tones, through his earpiece. Chang was telling his handler that this was the last time he would be bringing him information. His handler was angry at the news.
Annie made her way through the greenhouse and up the path past Auggie where she'd reached out and patted his shoulder as she walked by to let him know where she was. He raised his hand and their fingers brushed.
The argument behind the palm trees escalated as the Asian man threatened Chang if he didn't continue to sneak information out of the research lab. "It's getting too risky," Chang said. "They are tightening security at the lab, and more people keep rotating in from Washington. I can't keep this up. I'm a wreck."
"You will bring me what I want, or we'll kill you," the Asian man said shoving Chang in the shoulder.
"Kill me and you'll never have the chance to get any more information," Chang retorted as he answered the shove with one of his own.
"We'll find another researcher who needs extra money as bad as you did."
"Try … but they won't have my security clearance and they won't know what pieces of information to bring out of the lab," Chang said as the man lunged toward him.
"Take this last piece of information and get out of my life," Chang said as he fell back against the trunk of a tree. The Asian man pulled a knife out of a sheath strapped to his leg and lunged toward Chang stabbing him in the right side.
Annie had maneuvered to a vantage point where she could observe the two men. She watched in horror as the foreign handler attacked Chang with a knife. She lunged through the plants trying to tackle him before he could stab Chang a second time. Chang doubled over in pain … bleeding, groaning and holding his side. The Asian man turned his wrath toward Annie and rushed toward her with the knife. Using one of the hand-to-hand moves Auggie had taught her, Annie avoided the attacker and threw him off balance; but he was able to escape.
Outside in the parking lot, FBI agents scrambled out of SUVs and ran toward the Jewel Box. They could hear the scuffle inside, but the area outside the entrance was clear.
Annie rubbed the back of her head as the man scrambled to his feet. "Auggie," she yelled, "he's getting away."
Auggie was already on the edge of the bench and braced to stop someone before Annie yelled. He heard the man running toward him, stuck he leg out to trip him and then jumped on him in an attempt to subdue him. They rolled around on the path struggling. Auggie had a good grip on him and got in a couple of solid punches, but the attacker managed to free himself and throw Auggie against the bench where he struck the side of his head. His head was spinning, but he managed to turn and grab at the man's ankles and pull him off balance again.
When the FBI agents came up to the path, Annie was helping Chang to his feet and Auggie was hanging on to the Asian.
"FBI," the lead agent announced. Auggie did not release his hold on the man until he felt the agents grab him and pull him to his feet. Two more FBI men took over from Annie to help Chang, allowing Annie to run toward Auggie who was being helped to his feet by Agent Vincent Rassibi. "I keep running into you two in the strangest situations," Rassibi greeted Auggie. "Are you OK?"
Auggie was unsteady on his feet, held his hand to his head and said, "I'm not really sure," he answered.
Rassibi studied Auggie for a split second and said sharply, "You need to sit down before you fall down." He then took Auggie's hand and placed it on the back of the bench and added in a kind tone, "There you go."
"Thanks," Auggie said, trying to shake off the dizziness and queasiness that comes with a bad bump to the head.
A voice from Langley came into Auggie's earpiece, "August Anderson, what did you do to yourself?"
"Bumped my head, Joan," Auggie answered. "Really, it'll be OK. I'm just a little dizzy."
"Uh huh …" Joan replied.
"Joan, I didn't let him get away."
"I know, Auggie. Good job, but damnit, Auggie, you scare me."
Another agent accompanying Rassibi took Chang in custody and checked his superficial wound. "Vince, we'd better take him to the hospital before we take him in for questioning."
Rassibi nodded and turned back to Annie and Auggie. "Have you two made it a secondary career to get in the middle of every major case I work on?"
"Your major case?" Annie asked indignantly and raising her voice. Auggie winced at the higher pitch … something that did not go unnoticed by either Rassibi or Annie. "This is our case. Chang works at a CIA funded laboratory and we've suspected him of passing technical information to the Chinese."
"Well, we've been tracking the other guy for almost two years. Your Chang is just one of about 10 people he's had stealing tech secrets for him," Rassibi countered. "Are you coming downtown to the office for interrogation?"
"I wouldn't miss it," Annie said. "We'll be right behind you." Rassibi stalked out of the green house and joined his fellow agents in the convoy to the St. Louis headquarters of the FBI on Market Street.
Annie sat on the bench beside Auggie, who was still holding the side of his head and taking deep breaths. She reached for his hand. "Let me take a look at it." She lifted his hand away from the left side of his head and saw that the skin was broken on his cheek and temple and it was beginning to discolor and swell.
"I think we need to have a doctor take a look at you," Annie whispered. "With your medical history, we don't want to take any chances with a head injury."
Joan was still patched into Auggie's and Annie's microphones. "Listen to her, Auggie. I'll call Dr. Kessler to find out if he has a colleague in St. Louis to recommend."
"Ok, Joan," Annie said. "We'll go ahead and go to the car and go straight where you tell us."
"From now on," Joan said, "we'll be back on the secure phones."
"Yes, ma'am," Annie answered.
Auggie stood up tentatively and took an unsteady step. "Wait," where'd my cane end up?" he asked. Annie looked around and found it had rolled under and behind the bench.
"Found it … under the bench," she said as she handed it to Auggie.
Auggie unfolded it, took another couple of shaky steps and said, "OK, Annie, this isn't going to work. Will you stick close to me until we get to the car?"
"You really don't like the asking for help thing, do you?"
"Not under these circumstances," he admitted.
Annie's phone rang as they walked across the open area in front of the building. "Joan, where do we need to go?"
"How's he doing?" Joan asked.
"He's a little shaky and dizzy, and he's mad about what happened."
"That's typical Auggie. I spoke with Dr. Kessler and he's arranged to have Dr. Bryan take a look at him in the Emergency Room at Barnes Hospital. Do you know where that is?" Joan said.
"Yes … it's not too far from our location right now?"
"Good," Joan said. "Go to the Emergency Room, and tell them arrangements have been made for Dr. Bryan to check him over before you go to the FBI office … and Annie … relax this evening at the hotel. Don't head back to Chicago until tomorrow … just in case … understood?"
"I understand, Joan," Annie answered.
Less than twenty minutes later, Auggie was sitting on the end of an examination table in a cubicle in the Emergency Room and Annie was in the corner fidgeting as Dr. Bryan examined Auggie. "I don't think it's anything more than a slight concussion that's going to give you a headache for a couple of days, but just to be sure, I'm sending you upstairs for an MRI."
Auggie nodded calmly. The doctor noticed that Annie looked terrified. He smiled at her and explained, "It's just a precaution. He might have some dizziness for a day or two, but the longest lasting effect is going to be the bruise on the side of his face."
"After the MRI," Annie asked, "do you think we can get some ice for that? It might help some of the bruising."
"Sure … I'll have the nurse bring some ice before you go upstairs," Dr. Bryan said as he handed the room number to Annie.
Turning back to Auggie, the doctor asked Auggie if he wanted to walk upstairs or go in a wheelchair. "Walk, if Annie can go with me," he answered quickly.
Shortly after the doctor left, a nurse came in with an ice pack. "Mr. Anderson," she addressed him. "Here's some ice for your injury."
Auggie took the pack and held it against his head. After a few more deep breaths he told Annie, "That feels surprisingly good." Annie rubbed his shoulder gently and asked if he was ready to go for the MRI.
An hour and a half later, after the nurse in radiology had found some fresh ice for the ice bag, the couple left the hospital. Auggie was less shaky and was feeling better knowing that Dr. Bryan's original diagnosis was correct. He was told to take it easy and to stay as quiet as possible the rest of the day and that he could travel to Chicago tomorrow.
When they were settled in the car, Annie made a management decision. She would take Auggie back to the hotel to rest and she would go to the FBI headquarters alone. "If they need specifics from you," she told Auggie, "we can call. I really want you to rest so you feel like spending five hours in the car with me tomorrow."
Auggie sighed. "I'd argue with you, but between the throbbing and knowing I'd lose; I'm just going to say thank you."
Annie dropped Auggie at the hotel, filled their ice bucket, made sure he was comfortable and was back on the road to the FBI office. "Be back as quick as I can. Leave your phone on, so I can call if Rassibi has questions for you," she said as she pulled the door closed.
Auggie was glad to have a couple of hours alone to gather his thoughts. The blow had brought back some dark memories and the initial dizziness had frightened him more than he realized until it began to dissipate. It was one thing to deal with the challenges of blindness even with a strong support system. It would be a totally different if the latest incident had permanently damaged his equilibrium and sense of balance. He sat in the quiet room trying to relax and deciding whether he should take one of the pain meds they'd given him at the hospital.
He decided against the pain killer, fearing it would make his thinking fuzzy if he needed to answer any questions. Auggie should have relaxed, because Annie had taken control of the situation and diffused any animosity that Rassibi may have been harboring. Annie explained that the Agency was available to help with the prosecution as long as all covert officers' identity could be protected. Joan had advised her that the transcripts of all the conversations they'd obtained would be available as long as officers' names were redacted.
Standing in the viewing room watching the interrogation of the Asian man, Annie asked Rassibi, "Any idea who this character is?"
"His name is Harold Chen. He's not a member of Chinese Intelligence … his family owns a tech development company in Shanghai, and he was buying your development information to beat you to the marketplace with it," Rassibi explained.
"Well, we weren't going to take the technology to the marketplace. It is for our soldiers serving in the Middle East to make their night patrols safer," Annie said. "They were working on creating light weight night vision glasses. Now, the enemy may get them before our troops," Annie said.
"Maybe they haven't gotten enough pieces to the puzzle to hurt our efforts," Vincent said.
"I hope not," Annie sighed. "Will you do something for me, Vincent? Make sure the charges stick."
"I'll do my best," he said reassuringly as they walked out of the viewing room. "Oh … did they keep your friend in the hospital?"
"Thanks for asking … no … he's back at the hotel resting. If he feels like in the morning, we're going to hit the road for Chicago."
"Chicago? Did you get reassigned to Chicago?"
"Oh, god, no," Annie exclaimed. "We were in Chicago visiting Auggie's family for Thanksgiving when this operation fell into our laps. Our director thought it made sense for Auggie and me to take the lead since we were already in the Midwest and Chang had never seen either of us."
"Your friend is a coworker?" Rassibi asked.
"Yes he is, and he's very good at what he does," Annie said proudly.
"Well, he's tough and fearless. I'm just sorry we didn't get in the building quicker today before he got hurt," Rassibi apologized.
"Me too, but if the truth be known, I'd almost bet he's not too unhappy to have a new battle injury and to prove he can still take care of himself and do his job in the field," Annie smiled. "And speaking of that, if you don't need anything else from me, I'd like to get back to the hotel to check on him."
"Sure," Rassibi said. "Let's not do this again."
By the time Annie returned to the hotel, it was dusk and the room was dark when she unlocked and opened the door. She flipped on the light and walked quietly down the hall to the bedroom area. Auggie was propped up in bed holding the ice bag, wrapped in a hand towel, to the side of his head. Before Annie could speak, Auggie spoke her name softly. "It's me," she said, "I didn't want to startle you, and I didn't want to wake you … but they did tell you to stay awake, didn't they?"
"Yes, they did," he chuckled, "and it was hard, because a nap is sounding pretty good."
"Why don't we order an early dinner, watch some tv and call it a day. We have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow, if you feel like it," Annie suggested.
"I'll be OK tomorrow. But I am concerned about what I'm going to look like," he mused.
Annie turned on the bed side lamp and lifted the ice bag off his head. She grimaced. "Yep, Auggie, that's leaving a mark … a nasty looking bruise. Your mother is going to want to strangle me, because she'll think I wasn't looking out for you."
Auggie put the ice bag back in place. "She knows differently, Annie. And so does Dad. We'll just have to ask her if it's OK not to have the whole family get together tomorrow night before we leave. And … if any strangers say anything, we'll just have to let them think I misjudged the edge of the bathroom doorframe in a hotel room."
"You seem pretty comfortable with that explanation," Annie observed.
"Well, it wouldn't be the first time it happened for real," Auggie chuckled. "Now, what are we going to order for dinner?"
"I don't know … when I'd finish a tough mission and go home to Dani's, she could tell I'd had a rough time of it and we'd share a carton of ice cream."
Auggie sat up straight and swung his feet over the side of the bed, patting the space next to him, inviting Annie to sit. He put his arm around her shoulder, pulled her into an affectionate hug and asked, "Rocky Road or Vanilla?"
Epilogue
Although bruised and sore the next day, Auggie felt like he was fine to travel with Annie back to Chicago … after they'd splurged on a room service breakfast. Annie was a little sore, too, but she tried to keep it from Auggie, who did detect her wince. He decided to let her keep it to herself.
Before starting out to Chicago, Annie fixed a fresh ice bag for Auggie's bruises and gently applied some antibiotic ointment to his broken skin.
Before they checked out of the hotel, Annie and Auggie had a video conference with Joan, who told them not to rebook their plane tickets until Friday. "Auggie should be a tad more presentable, by then," she said in a half teasing tone.
Amanda Anderson concealed her concern when Auggie showed up bruised and Annie was moving like she'd pulled a muscle or two. When she asked what the other guy looked like, Auggie responded, "Don't know what he looks like, but he's in custody." Amanda took advantage of the extra days with them to to cook some of Auggie's favorite childhood meals and enjoy having the young couple padding around the house in sweats.
Before they left for Washington, Annie and Auggie discussed their Christmas holiday plans and decided that after spending Christmas with Annie's family they would try to return to Glencoe for the New Year celebrations.
On the flight home, Auggie wasn't opposed to sitting in the window seat so he could conceal his bruised face from fellow passengers.
Well, Annie and Auggie have stumbled into and conquered another mission to keep us safe. Good job, kids!
Thank you so much for reading and sharing this adventure with me. Also, thank you for the alerts and encouraging comments.