Ghosts that Haunt—25
When the alarm went off the next morning, Casey considered shooting it. Instead, he fumbled the alarm off, and when Riah made to crawl immediately out of bed, he hooked an arm around her waist and dragged her back against him. "We're alright?" he asked.
Riah looked exhausted when she rolled over and met his eyes, which was hardly surprising since by his calculation, they had only managed maybe two and a half hours' sleep. "We're alright," she agreed, and he felt the relief flood through him before he kissed her.
Casey watched her as she dressed for work, and after he pulled the hated green polo over his head, he grinned when he saw she couldn't close the button on her skirt. He watched her try to suck in her stomach and fasten it, but he was smart enough not to tell her he told her so. She gave him a dark look, one that said this was his fault, and rummaged in her nightstand drawer until she found a safety pin to hold it closed before she zipped it up and then left her white blouse untucked.
As usual this early, he was the only man in the waiting room at her doctor's office. He didn't find that as uncomfortable as he had the first time. He got the impression the other pregnant women envied Riah that he was there with her. Then again, they could be resenting the presence of a man in what was obviously women's territory. He leafed through a copy of Time magazine if for no other reason than it kept Riah from worrying that he didn't want to be there.
Actually, it had surprised him that he did want to be there and that he didn't mind sitting in a room full of women. Normally, that would annoy him and make him twitchy. He liked knowing what was going on with his wife's body, with their child, and he had a feeling Riah wouldn't tell him everything if he didn't go along with her to the appointments. He wanted to know how she was, and he wanted to know what to watch for in case something went wrong. One thing on which he agreed with Lydia Pentangeli was that Riah would have a very hard time coping with another miscarriage.
He tossed the magazine on the table beside him when Riah returned from peeing in the cup, and he held her hand while they waited. He stood when the nurse called her name and followed her back. He held her bag while she was weighed, and after they were seated in the other waiting room, he put an arm around her and pulled her against him when she yawned. He felt a little guilty about how little sleep she had the night before, especially since she was even less good with sleep deprivation now that she was pregnant. He smiled against the top of her head as he thought about the better parts of what had kept them awake the night before.
The examination itself didn't take that long. Lydia didn't say much of anything she hadn't told them the other times. Riah's blood pressure was low, but her aunt didn't seem unduly worried. Lydia was concerned that she wasn't gaining weight, and Casey steeled himself not to laugh, not to even let his lips twitch. Riah would gut him for thinking it was funny when Riah snapped Lydia should just be glad she wasn't getting fat. Her aunt just rolled with Riah's crankiness.
Casey was surprised when Riah didn't argue about her due date as she usually did, and he felt her relax a little when Lydia told them she was now past the first trimester, which meant she was far more likely to carry to term this time. She did warn her that there was no guarantee, though. Riah gave a small smile, and Casey hoped she might finally be able to relax, begin to get excited about being a mother.
When they walked into the Buy More, Casey realized Big Mike was having one of his periodic pissy days when he snapped at Riah, "You're out of uniform, Mariah. Get that shirt tucked in and get to work."
In the break room, Mariah clocked in and then Casey, before she stuffed her bag in her locker.
"You're out of uniform, Mariah," Big Mike repeated when they came back to the sales floor, and Casey had a low growl going that he barely choked off before the manager heard it.
"Sorry, Big Mike, but I seem to have gained some weight," she lied.
"Well, at least you ain't pregnant, so I don't have to fill out a bunch of paperwork for maternity leave or give some of your duties to someone else," the manager snapped, and Casey gritted his teeth, felt his hand fist. "I didn't want to say anything—especially with all that bullshit about sexual harassment—but you have . . . filled out some. Find some clothes that fit better before your next shift," he ordered and headed to his office.
Casey followed her to the Nerd Herd desk, and when she had taken her seat behind it, he leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss before striding to appliances. He knew better than to try and convince her to go tell their manager she was pregnant after all, especially since he'd barely managed to get her to agree to tell their families. He watched her talk to Bartowski and wondered what they talked about.
As it got closer to time for him to meet Ilsa, Casey gave some thought to how Riah might react when the other woman arrived. He'd had no choice but to ask Ilsa to meet him at the Buy More. It was going to be difficult enough without having to deal with a newly re-angered wife. He watched Riah turn her chair around to talk to Bartowski and Grimes, but then he noticed Chuck's face shift to disapproval. Casey followed the kid's gaze and saw Ilsa stride through the door. He sighed. Riah wasn't going to be the only angry one before this was over. Bartowski would be pissed on her behalf.
Ilsa spotted him the minute she walked in, and Casey watched her stride toward him. He looked over to where Chuck stared at Riah, concern written on the kid's face. He was about to go see what the problem was when Ilsa reached up to kiss his cheek. He barely noticed, focused instead on Riah's tense back. He watched his wife stand and stiffly walk to the back of the store, and he was tempted to follow her, especially since the look Bartowski shot his way was vintage angry Intersect.
"Ready, Casey?"
Ilsa's question broke into his concern. He looked at her, frowned and gestured toward the door. "I need to get a few things. I'll meet you outside." He was pissed off when she made no move to leave the store.
He went to the break room and took his pack out of his locker. He had his weapons in the bag. He'd have to go somewhere to change into the suit hanging in the car, and he decided that Ilsa's hotel was probably the best place since he couldn't take her to Castle and didn't want to take her to Riah's home. Grimes was chatting up Ilsa when he came back into the store, and Casey glowered at them, hoped Ilsa hadn't told the bearded troll anything that would undo the truce he had made with his wife.
"Your cousin was just telling me she came to help with wedding plans," he told Casey.
Casey grunted and gestured at the door to get Ilsa moving before the moron said something that gave anything away.
"Shouldn't Mariah be involved?" Grimes asked silkily. "Isn't it usually the bride who makes these decisions?"
Ilsa started to turn to the boy, but Casey took a firm hold of her arm and marched her out of the Buy More before she could say anything. When the doors had closed behind them, he told her, "If you made things any worse for Riah than last night did, Ilsa, so help me—"
"You'll what?" she interjected.
He opened the passenger door of the Vic. He gave her a look as he held the door that made his answer crystal clear.
She became all business then, told him they were having lunch at the hotel. He nodded, and when they arrived, he parked in an employee lot. He spied the van with the tactical team Beckman had on standby. They entered through the back and took the service elevator to her floor. Casey went into the bathroom and shed his Buy More clothes and quickly put on a white shirt and brown suit. He knotted the coordinating tie and put on his shoes. He checked and holstered weapons and then walked out into her room. Ilsa was seated in the chair waiting. She stood, and he was glad she had taken the time to button on a manteau and put on the hijab. He gestured toward the door, and followed her to the hall.
The scientist waited for them in the lobby, and Casey shook the man's hand. Ilsa remained largely silent and behind him. They were shown to a table, and after their orders had been taken, they returned to the delicate negotiations they had begun the night before. Casey focused this time. He hadn't told Ilsa he was wired or that there was a team waiting to take the man into custody. He sincerely hoped this could be finished with this meeting, so he could honestly tell Riah it was done and Ilsa was gone.
Apparently, the scientist realized there were likely people around who spoke French, so he switched to Farsi when he began making his demands and explaining what he could offer in exchange. Ilsa didn't speak the language, and Casey was relieved to find it quickly came back to him. The man spoke quite knowledgeably about the Iranian's nuclear program, so knowledgeably Casey knew he had contacts in Iran. He talked of what he could do for his former homeland, talked of the research he could bring with him, had with him, and something niggled in the back of Casey's brain. Even if the man was certain no one else in the vicinity spoke Farsi, no serious defector would have such a discussion in the open.
He supposed it could be the man's inexperience, but Casey became more convinced there was something really, really wrong with this, and the feeling grew as lunch wore on. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was other than a gut-reaction. Casey's gut was rarely wrong, but he was in this far, and he would have to play things out until he knew the answer.
Perhaps that was why the sight of Riah and Mona Ellerby being seated behind the scientist made his heart sink. Ilsa was turned so that she hadn't seen the two women enter, and neither had the scientist. Riah was no longer wearing the now ill-fitting Nerd Herd outfit but was instead wearing a stunning red dress, one he'd bet had a designer label and showed a luscious length of leg. He focused on what the man opposite him was saying, and then, when he responded, he looked over and caught his wife's eye. She gave him a hard stare. She stood and went to the restrooms.
Casey excused himself, and when he reached the narrow hall where the bathrooms were, she waited for him. He took Riah's arm and pulled her into the men's room. He made sure it was empty, and then he locked the door. "What in hell are you doing here?"
"The scientist spies for the Israelis, John," she said quickly. "One of Mona's operatives intercepted a phone call. They don't know the French took the man you are supposed to be. Sherazi's wired, and when you close the deal, they're coming after you."
His first thought was that she was trying to derail his mission with Ilsa, but he looked at her face and realized she wouldn't do that. "Riah, you're sure?"
She hesitated, showed a bit of doubt, but then she nodded. Casey pursued that doubt. Riah simply shrugged, said, "It's what Mona and her team say, John, but something doesn't seem quite right about it."
"The Israelis know me," he said, and she nodded once more. He thought quickly. "This makes no sense." And it didn't. Well, actually, it did. The U.S. and Israel had had a strained relationship since the Pollard arrest. It still colored some of their interactions. It also begged the question why he had not been recognized.
"You need to get back," Riah said, and the look she gave him told him she didn't fully believe it, either. He thought about the night before when she had told him she was simply the messenger. "Mona and I will hang tight a little while, and then we'll get out of your way." She started for the door, but Casey stopped her.
"Toby Yates is outside with the team waiting to arrest Sherazi." He addressed his next remarks to Yates. After he gave the other man a quick description of Riah, he told him, "When she comes outside, take her to the command center. She's going to make contact with the Israelis and see if we can get out of this without any serious embarrassment." He shut the wire down after he heard Yates's affirmative response. He pulled Riah to him and kissed her. "We still have to take Sherazi, so don't make any agreements we're going to violate."
She looked up at him and said, "I'm not in the business any more, John. I don't think I should do this. Perhaps I should call Sarah Walker."
"Walker has to stay on Bartowski," he reminded her. "You're up to speed."
"I can't speak for the Americans," she said. "I can't even speak for Canada."
He raised his brows. "They don't know that."
Riah looked like she was going to protest again, but then she sighed and nodded. He took another quick kiss, but before he could move to the door, she said, "This stinks, John."
Casey nearly cracked that it was a men's room, but he looked at her face. "We have to let it play out, Riah. Find out what you can from the Israelis." He tilted his head. "Call someone you can trust." She nodded, and he unlocked the door. She gestured for him to go, and he turned his wire back on before stepping out. Ilsa was watching, and he realized that had he insisted Riah return to the dining room first, she would have been spotted. He was a little worried when it was several minutes before she resumed her seat, but he relaxed when she slid into the booth opposite Ellerby.
He dragged out the negotiations, balked at a few things the real doctor would likely have balked at, made a demand or two he was certain the scientist would not agree to, and generally spun it out until he saw his wife and Ellerby leave. "She's with us, Colonel," he heard Yates say a few minutes later.
Ironically, Sherazi got a little squirrelly about then. Casey wondered if Riah had been recognized. She had worked with Mossad a time or two, after all. They continued to go back and forth for a while, and finally Casey decided to pull the plug. They agreed to meet in the lobby before going to dinner. Casey told the man he would make a reservation and then call his room to let him know where they would eat and when. He stood and shook hands once more and then watched the other man leave the restaurant.
"What was that about?" Ilsa asked, and she appeared considerably put out.
He heard Riah in his ear then. "Don't talk in her room, John. Yates believes they bugged it while the two of you were at lunch." That meant they had probably searched the room and knew his things, other than those he had arrived with, weren't there. That also meant they knew about the Buy More.
"We're meeting for dinner, Ilsa. I'll make the reservation, and we'll close the deal tonight."
She looked mollified then. He settled the bill and walked with her to the elevators. He decided he wouldn't bother to change, would just head out. He would have to talk to Beckman, and he wasn't sure he shouldn't just go ahead and take Yates and the team and get Sherazi now. The Israelis' involvement changed everything.
In the elevator, what bothered him about this finally clicked. The Israelis would know the man he was impersonating. There was no way they wouldn't have, and there was no way Sherazi wouldn't have been shown a photograph of the man if he were truly working for Israel. He would have disappeared after the first meet when he realized Casey wasn't who he claimed. Add to that the fact that Sherazi had shown no prior sympathy for Israel and its probable plight if Iran became a nuclear nation, and this was just completely wrong. What, then, explained the call Ellerby's agent had intercepted?
It was conceivable that Riah was playing some sort of game of her own here, but he doubted Mona and Adderly were deliberately undermining Ilsa, though he conceded it was entirely possible.
When they reached Ilsa's room, he was no closer to an answer. He went in and picked up his things. He would wait to search them to see if they had been tampered with. He told Ilsa he would be in touch, and then he made for the door. She put her back to the door and stopped him. "Casey, won't you—"
"No," he said, and moved her to the side and left her room.
The team was outside the employee's entrance, and he joined Yates and Riah in the command van. Riah was pale, and he asked Yates what was going on. Toby tilted his head at Riah. "John," she said nervously, "I called General Beckman."
He nearly groaned, but then he acknowledged that had probably been a very smart move. Beckman would be furious if Riah became involved in this without her knowledge and it went south. He wasn't at all sure it hadn't already done so. "And?"
"Sir, General Beckman," a lieutenant said.
Casey took the headset from the man. "Colonel Casey, has Miss Adderly explained to you what she learned from her contact with Mossad?"
He looked over at his wife. "Not yet."
Beckman did. Riah had called an old friend working at the Israeli embassy. He had denied they had had any contact with Sherazi, was, in fact, stunned that the Canadians—Riah had apparently not told him she was making contact on the American's behalf—would think such a thing. If anything, Sherazi was on the Israelis' enemies list since he had made several overtures to various Iranian sources to sell his work. As Riah talked to the man, though, he apparently decided to tell her they had heard some chatter that the Iranians were after something or someone else and Sherazi was believed to be the key. "He either didn't know or was unwilling to tell Miss Adderly who or what."
"General, I think it's time we simply took Sherazi."
"I agree, Colonel. I would prefer we did so alive, but if that's not possible . . . ." Casey knew they had permission to kill the man if there were no other options. He removed the headset and turned to Yates. "Do you have surveillance?"
Yates pointed at two monitors and looked at Riah a moment. Casey said nothing about his wife's presence, so Yates shrugged. "We ran a bug in after he left his room." He turned on the sound, but Sherazi was seating himself at a laptop, so there was no sound other than that of his fingers on the keyboard.
"You have a tap on that, right?" Casey asked.
The lieutenant turned a screen toward him, and he watched a mirror of Sherazi's screen. To Casey's amusement, the man was surfing the web for escort services. "Did they sweep the room when they went in?" Yates nodded and told him they had found nothing. Yates handed over the hotel's floor plans, and he and Casey talked about approaches to the room and how to take the man out.
Riah's voice interrupted. "John."
He looked over and she nodded at the computer screen the lieutenant turned back around. Sherazi had ordered a blonde. He picked up his phone. "Walker, I need you," he told her when she answered. He gave her the address and told her he needed her to dress for a honey trap. She asked about Bartowski. "Bring him." He turned back to Yates, "Have someone intercept the girl he ordered."
Walker arrived, and Casey briefed her. Chuck seemed surprised to see Riah, but the two of them sat back quietly, which was a surprise for Casey. He told Yates Walker would call them when she had Sherazi immobilized. Riah's phone buzzed, and he shot her a look. She started to turn it off, but he asked, "Who is it?"
She blushed. "Dad."
"Answer it."
Riah's face paled at whatever her father had to say. She looked at Casey, and he watched her listen. The color returned to her face and she held her phone out to him. "He wants to talk to you."
He put her BlackBerry to his ear. "My daughter is not supposed to be working for the NSA."
"She's not supposed to be working for you, either," he returned.
"As long as we're both clear on that," Adderly said, and then he got down to business. "I checked a little further into the story Mona's operative turned up. You know Nir Dayan?"
Casey did, and he told Adderly so.
"He owes Mariah his life, and I trust that he wouldn't lie out of respect for her. According to him, Sherazi is not working with them. I'm inclined to believe him. Meanwhile, Mona ran down the phone call that says otherwise. It went to a number you might recognize." He rattled it off, and Casey did, indeed, know the owner of that particular number.
"I'll take care of it," he said, careful to conceal the anger that coursed through him.
"Normally, I'd say happy hunting," Adderly told him. "I'm truly sorry, Casey."
He had never taken betrayal well at all. He probably never would. He hung up Riah's phone and handed it back to her without looking at her. He looked at Yates, and told the lieutenant to let Bartowski, whom he called Carmichael, take over monitoring Sherazi's computer. He then told the lieutenant to make sure Walker got inside safely.
When the man left, there were only four of them still in the van. Casey knew he could trust three of them. He looked at Yates and said, "Unhook, Captain."
Yates gave him a funny look. "Beg pardon, Colonel?"
"Take off the communications and hand over your weapon." He didn't take his eyes off the man. He drew his own weapon and then drew a second one, handed it to Riah.
"You're making a mistake, Colonel," Yates said.
"I don't think so," he said. "Where's your cell phone?"
Yates blanched. "Riah," Casey said. "Get his weapon." He didn't look at Bartowski, kept his eyes, instead, on Yates. She made her way over to the Captain and took the man's gun and handed it across. "Get his cell phone, too." She put the muzzle of her gun against the man's head and started running her free hand through his pockets. When she retrieved the phone, she backed off. "Carmichael. See who he's talked to in the last forty-eight hours."
Walker's voice came in his ear and told him Sherazi was down. He told her to secure him and wait. "Which ones are with you, and which ones can be trusted?" he asked.
"None of them," Yates said, and Casey wasn't surprised, had been sure he wouldn't answer the question.
"Riah?"
"Yes, John?"
"Ellerby have anyone on hand?" He doubted Mona had been allowed to risk bringing his wife to him without making sure she was fully protected, especially since Adderly's rogue was still running loose.
"Farris and Luden."
"Ask them to help Walker." While Riah made the call, he opened the com line. "Stand down. That's an order." He switched frequency to the one he and Walker typically used. "Walker, ISI will provide the assist. Farris and Luden."
He cuffed Yates and used a set of shackles to make sure he wasn't going anywhere. He told Chuck to keep an eye on him before he signaled Riah to follow him. He handed Riah an earpiece. "He has four men inside. Walker, how many are with you?"
"Two."
"Ask the ISI boys to subdue them." Switching to Yates's frequency, he asked for a position check. The two not with Walker were on the service elevator. Riah looked at him. He took the weapon from her and holstered it and his own. He took her hand and walked her inside and to the elevators. He pushed the button for Sherazi's floor. After they reached the floor, he steered her down the hall. He handed her his backup piece and said sternly, "No risks."
She nodded. He went to the side with the call buttons while she went to the other. They both put their backs to the wall, and he hit the button. The doors opened, and they took the two men by surprise. Casey wanted to dress them down for sloppiness even though he had given the order to stand down, but then he realized that in the grander scheme of what was going on, that was less important. "Drop them," he told them. "Kick them out," he said when they had done so. "Riah." She used her feet to move the weapons further away. "Out," he barked.
They backed up as the two men stepped out of the elevator. Walker and the ISI operatives came out of Sherazi's room then, and when Walker stepped up beside Casey, Riah stepped further back. Casey remained where he was as the two ISI operatives aimed at the men while Walker moved forward to search and cuff them.
Turning to Riah, he grinned at her. She gave him a shaky smile in return and handed him his spare handgun. He checked the safety and holstered it and his own.
"I heard you quit," one of the operatives said to her as they prepared to move the men out.
"I did," she answered. "Mona asked for a favor."
"This the lucky bastard?" the other asked jerking a nod at Casey.
Riah grinned. "Yes, he is." Casey slid an arm around her shoulders.
A door opened down the way, and Ilsa poked her head out before stepping into the hall. She eyed Riah dismissively then asked Casey, "What's happening?"
The ISI boys moved the two men back into the service elevator and hit the button to take them downstairs and out the back. Chuck's voice told him the containment crew was there. "You can tell your bosses it's over. We'll turn over the research Sherazi brought after our guys have had a look at it."
She was angry, and she narrowed her eyes. "You double crossed me."
"No, Ilsa, you double crossed me." Riah stiffened beside him, but she said nothing. Casey appreciated that. The last thing he needed was to have to deal with two angry women. "Pack. You'll be taken to the airport and put on a flight back to Paris." He would make the call to arrange it as soon as she returned to her room.
"You're making a mistake, Casey," she said, but he was unmoved.
"I've heard that a lot lately," he said.
She moved toward him, but to his surprise, Riah stepped forward between him and the French spy. "He's giving you an out. I suggest you take it."
That was the moment he realized her father had filled her in before she handed the phone to him in the van. Ilsa sent a contemptuous look up and down Riah. "Let the adults speak."
He tensed, knew Riah would not respond well to that. "The grownups have spoken. In case you haven't noticed, you're the one being sent to her room without supper."
The ISI operatives were back, and Mona Ellerby and another two operatives were with them, Casey noted. Ilsa shot a look at them then focused back on Riah. "You'll have no more luck than any other woman ever did," she bit out softly. "He's incapable of being faithful. Ask him where he was last night."
To his surprise, Riah laughed. "You really don't know him at all, do you?" She stepped closer to Ilsa. "When he came home, he told me where he had been and what you tried to do." They were the only three in the hallway at that point, and Riah put a hard edge on her voice and said, "My husband doesn't lie to me. He's given me no reason to distrust him. Take your poison and go home before he decides to have you arrested."
Ilsa started to say more, but Walker joined them. "Is there something I should know here?" she asked, and it dawned on Casey that she had probably heard the entire conversation, including Riah claiming him as her husband. The elevator dinged, and two CIA officers got off.
"Detain her until she can be put on a flight back to France," he said.
Walker and the two CIA officers escorted Ilsa back to her room. Casey shook his head when Riah started to say something, so she shut up. He didn't know if the officers were on the same frequency. He leaned down and kissed his wife. She hadn't hesitated, and she had performed beautifully. He had a moment's regret that she had to give this up, particularly since he had seen the tell-tale gleam that told him she was enjoying herself as they worked.
"If your dad was here," Mona said as she stepped into the hall and saw the kiss, "he'd make some sarcastic comment about Casey molesting you."
Riah smiled when he lifted his head. "Make sure you describe it in full detail when you talk to him," she told Mona, and Casey flashed a grin at her before releasing her. "Better yet—embellish."
"Don't," he corrected. "I don't want the inevitable phone call."
Mona got down to business. "Where do you want us to take everyone?" she asked.
Casey looked down the hallway where Walker and the CIA officers had gone. "Where do you have them?"
"We handed them over to your containment unit."
"Leave Sherazi and take the other two down. Tell them we'll bring the last two down soon." Mona gestured to the two operatives who had brought the other two detainees out into the hall. They headed to the service elevator. "Thanks, Ellerby," Casey said.
"Any time," she said with a grin. She stepped forward and hugged Riah quickly. "Give me a call and we'll go to lunch for real one of these days."
"I'll do that," Riah promised.
Ilsa came out of her room flanked by the two CIA officers. She fumed, but Casey ignored her. He and Walker got Sherazi, who paled when he realized who and what Casey was. Riah followed them onto the elevator, and they all went downstairs together. They handed Ilsa and Sherazi off, and he told Walker to get Chuck and then send operatives back up to the scientist's room to remove his belongings. He slid an arm around Riah and stood, watched as they pulled Yates out of the van and then watched Bartowski and Walker step off as well. A group of NSA agents took their places inside.
Riah removed her earpiece, and Casey leaned down to kiss her as he took it. "Well done, Adderly."
"Thank you, Colonel," she said with a grin.
He gave her an answering smile. "Miss it?"
"A little," she admitted, and rubbed her hand down his back onto his ass. He lifted a brow and looked at her. "I think you have cleanup to do. I'm persona non grata these days, so where would you like to debrief me?"
He leaned in for another kiss, this one hot and hungry. Officially, Riah was barred from Castle now, and that provided some complications. At the moment, he would really like to misinterpret debrief, especially when she had said it so sexily, but he released her mouth and was about to tell her to go home when his phone vibrated. He didn't look to see who called, just said, "Casey."
"Take Miss Adderly back to Castle with you," General Beckman said and then hung up.
He pocketed the phone and told Riah she was coming with him.
She balked when they arrived, but he told her he had orders. Walker and Bartowski were right in front of them. Walker stopped outside the Orange Orange door and looked at Riah. "You misspoke when you were talking to Ilsa, right?" she asked.
Riah shot a look at Casey. He hoped she would tell the lie. He really didn't want to have to explain what they had done. Riah sighed. "It seemed like the best way to inflict the most damage. I'm a selfish bitch, okay?"
Both Walker and Bartowski relaxed at her words, and Casey did as well. He also realized that Riah hadn't denied it. They went downstairs, and within moments, General Beckman was onscreen. "Colonel Casey, I've had a rather rude phone call from the French intelligence minister."
"That's the French for you," he said snidely, and the General frowned.
"Unless there's a reason we shouldn't, I'm arranging a flight for Miss Trinchina back to Paris."
He shrugged. "I made the offer to her," he admitted, "but we might want to detain her long enough to talk to Yates and see what game they were actually playing."
General Beckman folded her hands before her. "I had a similar thought, Colonel. I'll make arrangements. I understand, Miss Adderly, that you assisted Colonel Casey." Riah nodded warily. "I appreciate ISI's help bringing this to a successful conclusion, and I particularly appreciate your father's cooperation, especially since you no longer work for ISI."
Chuck cut in with a startled, "What?"
"The NSA and ISI both insisted that in order to marry John I had to leave ISI. I submitted my resignation about four weeks ago. It was formally accepted by the Director General yesterday," Riah explained. Casey squeezed the hand he held.
"I would also like to thank you, Miss Adderly, for making contact with the Israelis to help us confirm—or in this case disprove—what our intelligence said was really going on. As I'm sure you're aware, despite the fact that Israel is a friendly nation, we have long standing issues when it comes to intelligence sharing. It was a great service to have a neutral resource as a liaison."
"You're welcome, General," she said quietly.
"My prior offer still stands."
Riah smiled. "My previous answer still holds."
The General thanked the rest of them and then broke the connection. "Well," Riah said, "if someone will let me out, I'll let the rest of you get on with it."
Casey cupped her cheek with his left hand and pulled her to him with his right arm before he kissed her. He was proud of her, and the kiss was as much because of that as it was a promise for when he got home.
"Casey?" Chuck asked. "Are you wearing a wedding ring?"
He lifted his head and said, "Ilsa and I were posing as a married couple," and he filled in that part for Bartowski. He should have removed the ring sooner, but he hadn't thought of it. He slipped it off, and dropped it in his pocket. If Walker thought it odd he didn't put it with the others stored there, she said nothing.
Walker looked at Riah. "What did Beckman mean about her prior offer?"
Riah blushed. "She offered me a job."
Chuck asked, "And you didn't take it?"
She snorted. "I would have been in violation of the agreement if I had. I'm not allowed to work for another intelligence agency for at least five years." She forestalled Bartowski's next question by explaining, "It's to protect my former agency and my government. They figure what I know will be obsolete by then." She looked at Casey and added, "Even if that weren't the case, though, I would have said no."
Casey watched her. She was going to tell them, he realized, but she lifted her brows as she returned his stare. She was giving him a chance to stop her, but he decided he didn't want to. They would have to be told sooner or later. They waited for the inevitable question from Bartowski and grinned at each other like idiots. When Chuck finally asked why, Riah said, "Because I'm pregnant."