Betrayal (48 page)

“Alex is going to flip.”

Kate Fallon stared at the television screen and rubbed her own eyes. There were images playing of Cassidy beside several different men and women. She rolled her tongue across the insides of her cheeks and blew out a heavy breath. “Why would anyone…I mean, no one is going to believe,” before she could finish an image of Alex flashed onto the screen next to a handsome young Army Officer.

“And the heroic Captain?” a voice said. “Is she truly a hero or just a mourning lover seeking comfort in…”

Brian Fallon had finally had enough and switched the television off. “Brian, no one is going to believe Cassidy was having affairs.”

Fallon groaned and laughed at the same time. “People will believe anything, Katie. Anything. It’s not the point anyway.”

Kate Fallon covered her face. “Are you going to call her?” There was no response as he paced the floor. “Brian?”

“Christ, Katie. Today of all days.”

“Why? What’s today?”

He collapsed onto a chair and shook his head. He’d spoken to his partner the evening before. “She’s got the whole entourage there.”

“What?”

“Shit, Katie. I have to call her. If they see any of that before she…”

“Before she what?”

He looked across to his wife before looking to the ceiling and rubbing his hand back and forth over the top of his head some more. “She’s telling her parents.”

“About them…”

“Yeah.” He took a deep breath and reached in his pocket for his phone.

“What do you think she’ll do?” his wife asked.

“I just hope she doesn’t kill the son of a bitch. At least I hope she doesn’t get caught.”

The day had progressed better than Alex had hoped. Jane’s presence kept her father occupied in dialogue and effectively allowed the agent to avoid the entire purpose of the get together. “Alexis,” her mother approached. The agent looked to her mother and smiled. “Let’s take the boys for that walk down by the stream they keep begging for.”

Alex was a bit perplexed. “Now?” Her mother nodded. “Okay…”

The pair excused themselves and walked the short trek to the stream that ran behind the house. Finding a comfortable distance to watch the boys from, Alex’s mother began, “Alexis, is there something you want to tell me?”

“What?”

Helen Toles shook her head. “I do realize that you and I have not been close for many years, but I did raise you.” Alex forced an uncomfortable grin. “And, I couldn’t help but notice,” Alex’s eyes widened. “The beautiful ring on Cassidy’s finger. Or, might I add the slight glow about her.”

Alex took a deep breath and released it. “I was waiting for the right moment.”

“I know. Look, Alexis,” the older woman paused. “Let me tell him.”

“What?”

“I am assuming everyone else already knows.”

“Well, I…”

“I understand. For once, just trust me. Let me tell your father.” Alex sighed. “Don’t spoil it for yourself.” Alex looked at her mother in amazement. “He may not make a scene, but you know he won’t give you what you are hoping for.”

“I don’t understand. Cassidy is…”

“Cassidy is wonderful,” Helen complimented.

Alex sighed and lifted her glance to the edge of the stream. “Dylan, not in the water,” she called firmly. Helen Toles smiled. “He’s just getting over an ear infection,” Alex explained before letting out another heavy hearted sigh.

“You can’t force him,” Helen put her hand on her daughter’s back, “or even coax him. Your father is who he is.”

“What about you?”

“Oh, Alexis, you are my daughter. You are not me.” She paused and watched Dylan and Cat as they searched for rocks. Their laughter was carrying through the air and she nodded as if having a private moment of understanding. “We all have ideas, whether we should or not, about who our children will become.”

“I…”

“But, those are our ideas,” Helen said with an understanding smile that surprised the agent. “Just because we followed what our parents expected, well, it doesn’t mean that is really what we wanted.” Alex was puzzled. “I just want you to be happy. It’s your life. You have to make it your own.”

“He’ll never…”

“He may not.”

“Mom, Cassidy and I….someday we want to…”

“You are wonderful parents, Alexis. You can’t live your life for your father now, or for me. You and Nick….you never did. That’s something he just, he can’t accept.”

A soft buzz in Alex’s pocket interrupted them. “Sorry,” she said as she noted the number. Her mother just smiled. “I have to…”

“I’ll get the boys,” Helen offered.

“Fallon?” Alex answered, keeping an eye on her mother in the distance. She watched as her mother wrangled the two friends expertly while attempting to listen to the nervous voice on the other end of her phone. “What did you just say...He what? Where did you hear that...Jesus.” Alex pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head in disgust. “No one will believe it anyway…….What...Me and who?” Alex swallowed hard. “Yeah, I heard you. It’s fine, Fallon. Thanks for the heads up. I gotta go.”

“Everything all right?” Helen asked as she reached her daughter again with the boys running past them.

“Sure,” Alex faked a smile.

“Never a good…”

“I know. It’s okay. Just not what I expected, at least not now.”

“Work?” Helen asked.

Alex let out a sarcastic chuckle. “I wish it were that simple,” she said.

“Chairman,” Lawrence Strickland greeted his old friend.

“Mr. President,” Chairman Stiller acknowledged.

“Sit. Sit. How are things on the hill, Jim?”

James Stiller laughed. “Missing your roots, Mr. President?”

“Sometimes,” the president confessed. Unlike his predecessor and in spite of the fact that he relished his new found authority, Lawrence Strickland had enjoyed his days on Capitol Hill. He learned how to attain the things he desired much more quietly than others. Most, including those that had engineered his current placement, regarded the new president as an egotistical puppet. They saw him as a man who in spite of his
renowned intellect, was willing to compromise almost anything for a chance to sit on what he considered the world’s greatest throne. The pathway to President Strickland’s ascension, however, afforded him the opportunity to learn the landscape of legislative politics in a way that few others could claim. He had long standing relationships and his own store of favors owed. “Jim,” the president continued. “This resolution…”

Stiller’s tensed. “HR 1929,” he said with an immediate understanding of this visit.

“Look. You have to admit, the language is broad. Tariffs are high….”

“Mr. President…”

“Jim. I am not asking that you scrap the measure. Just…. take a closer look. Take some time on it.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t send O’Brien to me.”

“Oh? Well, I know that you and John were, well….I know you regarded him highly. I am not President Merrow though. Christopher O’Brien will not be a mouthpiece for my administration.”

Chairman Stiller smiled in relief. “I’ll see what I can do, Mr. President.”

“I appreciate that, Jim. You let me know what you need with regard to the Social Security hearings you have scheduled.” It was no secret that Stiller’s real passion as Chairman of Ways and Means remained fixed on Social Security, tax and healthcare reform measures.

“I will,” the chairman responded.

“Good,” the president said as he rose to his feet. “Enough business. Bourbon?”

“Matt.”

“Jon. I hope you understand what you are getting yourself into here,” Brigadier General Matthew Waters answered. Jon
Krause nodded. “I don’t know exactly what John wanted to talk to me about. We seldom spoke through official channels.”

“I know.”

“I suppose it was about his…”

“No,” Jon Krause stroked his chin. “I know what he wanted to talk to you about,” Krause admitted.

“Janie said…”

“There are things that Jane does not need to know. There is a transfer set. Overdue, actually.”

“What kind?”

“Biological.”

Matthew Waters’ expression tightened. He took in a deep breath and released it slowly. “To?”

“Assets in Yemen.”

The general paced the floor and shook his head. “I won’t ask what the logic in that decision was. So, that is what sparked John’s desire to…”

“Matt,” Jon Krause stood. “John was working from the other side for years. I didn’t know myself…not until I had to make the call.”

Matthew Waters turned briskly with an immediate understanding of the CIA agent’s meaning. “You set up the assassination?”

Krause closed his eyes and opened them again. “I was charged with making the call, yes. He was supposed to leave by another exit. We planted chatter directly to reach the NSA. He refused the Secret Service request to change exits.”

The general rubbed his face with his hands as if to wipe away this new knowledge somehow. “He walked into it, knowing. Why?”

“He was compromised, Matt. That compromised everything he was working on and everyone.”

“Why didn’t he reach out to me?”

“No. He was more effective where he was. There are others, Matt. More moles than the good admiral is aware of. Things have….well, alliances change. He didn’t tell me, not
everything, not even when I called. I assumed he would follow the plan. I should have known better. This, well….it has severed relationships or at least severely damaged them. Claire Brackett…I assume you heard about Elliot?”

“I did. Right now this Yemenis transaction is what we need to focus on. If John felt that…”

“I agree. Though, the roots go much deeper than this,” Krause offered.

“I am sure.”

“Stopping this will not be easy. It’s already been delayed. The funds, they should be moving through a French transaction, routed through Nigeria and destined for a Swiss account. The disk with the account numbers will move through the Saudis to the SVR. The merchandise; that disk will move from the SVR to the Saudis.”

“What are you thinking? Changing the disks?” Krause nodded. “And how would you do that?”

“We acquire an unexpected asset of our own.”

Matthew Waters studied the man before him. “You want to bring Agent Toles all the way in.” Krause remained stoic. “I thought you wanted to protect Alex?”

“I do. She’s already in, Matt. Strange as it may sound, she’s safer immersing herself than skimming the surface.”

The general sighed and shook his head, pacing the floor in thought. “What do you need?”

“I’ll get the disk with the protocols. We’ll need a convincing dummy. Something that will occupy them for a while,” Krause explained.

“Have you talked to Toles yet?” Krause lifted his eyebrow. “I see. How do you know she will agree to this?”

“It’s in her DNA, Matt.”

“You have a plan?”

“I do. The original is in London. I will be there Friday. So will Agent Toles.”

“Fine. I’ll be expecting your call.”

“Expect Alex,” Krause answered as he stood to leave.

“Jonathan,” the general called back. “Out of curiosity; why was she never brought in before?”

The CIA agent chuckled. “What makes you think she wasn’t?” He regarded the general’s reaction and shook his head. “She has powerful allies, even she doesn’t realize. People who wanted her kept from this life. Even they are not powerful enough to change who Alex Toles is. I’ll be in touch.”