Betrayal (44 page)

rian Fallon sat quietly sipping his coffee, regarding the man seated across from him. “You’ll have to forgive me.”

“You don’t trust me, Agent Fallon. Well, I would say that you don’t have much choice now.”

Fallon took a deliberately long sip from his coffee and let it linger on his lips. As slowly as his hand would allow he moved the cup back to the table before allowing his gaze to meet the eyes fixed on him. “Assistant Director, I don’t understand why you called me here. Agent Toles may be my friend, but she is no longer with the bureau.”

“No, she is not. And neither are you, Agent.”

“Assist….”

“Don’t bother, Agent Fallon. I understand. I also understand your reluctance to believe me. I already spoke with your boss. Director Taylor is why I called. I have been at this a great deal longer than you, Agent. I worked in the field once. I had a partner. The kind of partner you don’t forget.”

“So that’s your reason…”

“Listen to me, Agent Fallon. You think you know more than you really do, both you and Toles.”

“You do realize that the idea of a sitting president as a CIA agent sounds a bit,” Fallon raised his eyebrow, “farfetched.”

“Maybe to you.”

“Okay. What’s in this for you?”

Assistant FBI Director Joshua Tate shook his head. “For me? Nothing, Agent.” Fallon stared blankly at the man he had
known as his mentor and boss. “There comes a time, Agent Fallon, when we have to make a choice. What do you believe in? What are you going to do about that?”

“So, you are making a choice?”

“Fallon….I knew John Merrow for many years. Our daughters grew up together. When he called me six months ago… well, I didn’t ask questions. He was the President of the United States. He was a friend. Do you understand?”

“So,
he
told you this, then?”

“No, he didn’t. He was cautious, concerned about Brackett’s placement at the FBI. He did not tell me all the reasons why. Something deeper. I only know that he wanted her controlled. He didn’t want Toles to discover her roots. Brackett is, well… her need to get close to Agent Toles; it prompted your assignment to the O’Brien case.”

Fallon nodded. “I think there might have been more than that to it, Assistant Director.”

“I’m sure, but Brackett concerned him,” Tate maintained.

“Why?”

“I don’t know that. It wasn’t often you could read John Merrow. He was concerned, Fallon. The last time I saw him….I suggested he tell Agent Toles everything.”

“Everything about what?” Fallon asked.

“What he was doing with the French…and others.”

“And what was that?”

“I don’t know much Agent Fallon. I was told what I needed to know. Large disbursements of cash ran through several congressional campaigns this last season. Far more than years earlier. The money, most of it moved through Nigeria before it made its way to Swiss accounts.”

“And…”

“I don’t know what the sales were. Not specifically. What was being sold concerned the president enough that he called me.”

Brian Fallon rubbed his hand over his head. “Why do you think he was a spook?”

“I don’t think it, Fallon. He was. His whole life. Look in that file. I can tell you this…you think Director Kearn controls the CIA?” Tate laughed. “Admiral Brackett, Agent. He
is
the agency as it actually operates. Whatever the agency even is.”

“What does that mean?”

“Agent Fallon, lone gunmen do not get close enough to presidents to kill them. This isn’t 1865.”

“So, the president was an intelligence operative that was killed by the CIA?” Fallon scoffed. “I thought Alex watched too much
X-Files
.”

Tate chuckled and shook his head. “You’re a good investigator, Fallon, but you are certainly naïve.”

“Why not bring this to Taylor yourself?”

“I did that once. People are watching both of us, Fallon. You and I have a reason to be here together. Be careful. Look at that file. Get it to Agent Toles. You are into something here; something much bigger than any of us can understand. It got a popular president murdered.”

“That’s a strong accusation.”

Tate stood and released an audible breath. “It’s not an accusation. It’s a fact.”

“If he knew someone might try and eliminate him, why wouldn’t he….”

Joshua Tate forced a solemn smile as he interrupted Fallon’s question with his answer. “I told you, Fallon. We all have to make choices.”

“You think he chose to die?”

Tate scratched his eyebrow. “Either you follow what you believe in Agent, or one day you believe in nothing.” He started to walk away as Fallon opened the file. “You have a family, Agent. People you love. So did John Merrow. So do I. Why did you choose this?” Fallon looked up and watched as the
taller man nodded again. “Be careful, both you and Toles. I will do what I can where Agent Brackett is concerned. Who she answers to, well…I’m not sure of that anymore.”

Brian Fallon looked back into the file as Tate walked away. His eyes scanned it quickly and he shook his head. “What the hell is going on?”

Cassidy woke up and reached across the bed to find Alex absent. She rolled over and looked at the clock. “5:30?” she groaned. The agent was still forbidden to go running and Cassidy wondered where she might have gone. Reluctantly, she left the comfort of the bed, threw on her robe and went in search of the agent. Dylan’s bed was also empty. The living room was still dark and she continued curiously to the kitchen. The coffee pot was on and a juice container sat open on the counter. Cassidy laughed. “Still tired,” she mused. It was unlike Alex to leave anything undone. She popped the juice back in the refrigerator and shuffled herself down the hallway. The faint sound of the television echoing from the family room caught her attention. Cassidy stopped in the doorway and smiled. Alex was lying sprawled out on the couch with Dylan nestled into her, his head tucked under her chin. She took a moment to study the scene, noting the remote that had fallen to the floor and the way Alex’s hand held her son gently. She shook her head in both amusement and deep affection for the pair. Quietly she walked over and kissed the agent’s forehead. “Alex,” she called gently.

“Hum? Cass?”

“Yeah, what are you doing down here?”

“What time is it?”

“It’s only 5:30. What….”

Alex opened her eyes slightly and gave a weak smile. “He wasn’t feeling good.”

“I didn’t hear him,” Cassidy said feeling a bit guilty.

“I know, you were sleeping so soundly when he came in. I didn’t want to wake you.

Cassidy knelt down beside the couch and brushed the hair from Alex’s eyes. “You didn’t have to….you could have woken me up.” The agent smiled and took Cassidy’s hand. “What?” Cassidy asked.

Alex swallowed hard. “He’s my son too, Cass.”

“Yes,” Cassidy said softly. “He is.”

“Cass?” Alex asked. Cassidy noted a hint of fear in her lover’s eye.

“What?” Cassidy asked with some concern.

“It was real, right?”

“What?”

“Last night. I mean you said yes....I didn’t just….well…you know…I…”

“Did you ask me something last night?” she asked playfully.

“What? Well….yeah…I…”

“You are tired,” Cassidy observed. “Yes.”

“What?” Alex answered.

“Yes, Alex. I said yes,” Cassidy laughed. “Come on. Come back to bed.”

“Dylan….”

“Did you give him anything?” Alex nodded and the teacher kissed her head. “He’ll sleep. Come back and sleep with me for a while.” Alex wiggled her way off the couch and covered the still sleeping boy. She stood over him, watching silently. “Alex? Are you all right?”

“Yeah. Is it weird, Cass?”

“What’s that?” Cassidy asked as she wrapped an arm around the agent and pressed into her.

“I don’t know. I just….I can’t believe sometimes it’s all real.”

“What?” Cassidy asked.

Alex turned and looked at her lover. “You.”

“I know.”

“Sometimes, I think I will wake up and it will have been just a dream.”

Cassidy did understand. “Well, it is a dream for me Alex; you, Dylan.”

“Is it?”

“What do you mean?” Cassidy asked.

“I never want to disappoint you.”

Cassidy took the agent’s face in her hands. “Impossible.”

“I hope so.”

“Come on.” Cassidy pulled gently on the agent. “I need you to hold me.”

“You do?”

Cassidy nodded. It was strange, but she understood why Alex seemed to be so emotional. Alex had never addressed Dylan as
her
son so directly to Cassidy before. All these moments, to most people they were frustrating; ear aches and principal offices, dishes and even mother-in-laws. Every moment for Alex and Cassidy seemed like the most important moment ever. Perhaps, Cassidy thought, it was because they had just found each other. Or, maybe it was because they had both suffered the fear of losing the other. So many moments, and so many tied to this new family that were a first for them all; maybe that was the reason. It didn’t matter. It simply was. “I do, Alex.” Cassidy giggled as they began walking again.

“What’s funny?”

“I do,” Cassidy answered laughing a bit harder.

Alex smiled her understanding. Everything was about to change again and Alex found her heart beginning to race at the thought.