In the Grey (57 page)

“
Everyone seems to be good
friends with Jack and Neev,” Leena said.

“
Okay, so what could Jack
have been doing that no one would have noticed?” Alex
asked.

“
Charity work,” Troy
said.

Every eye in the room
turned to him.

“
According to this
website, Jack Mac Kinney was in charge of the refugee charity
drive,” Troy said. “They were collecting blankets, coats, and stuff
like that for refugee camps. This year, they’re collecting items
for Afghanistan.”

“
Can it be that simple?”
Alex asked.

“
We’re supposed to be
dead,” Raz said. “The team in chaos. Who else would find
him?”

The team became very
still. The only sound in the room was the buzz from Jeb’s tattoo
machine.

“
You’re saying that Jack
Mac Kinney is in a refugee camp in Afghanistan,” Alex shook
her head at the impossibility.

“
Charahi Qambar or Nasaji
Bagrami,” Troy said. “At least that’s where the coats and stuff
were going. But the shipment left in . . .
April.”

She pointed to Vince, who
was talking on the phone. Leena tapped his arm and pointed to
Alex.

“
Can you ask him when
exactly he saw his father last?” Alex asked Vince.

Vince nodded. They talked
for a moment, and Vince hung up.

“
He’s moved to the house,”
Vince said. “‘To keep it warm until Mom comes home.’ The last time
he saw his father was Easter this year.”

“
When was that?” Alex
asked.

“
April 4,” Troy
said.

“
He said that he went
through his dad’s stuff,” Vince said. “There’s nothing, not a check
or a note or anything after mid-April. You should know that he
hasn’t seen his mom since July.”

“
Could Jack have been gone
that long?” Alex asked.

“
Sure,” Raz
said.

“
What about Neev?” Alex
asked. “She arrived at our house last month. Where’s she
been?”

“
How did you get a hold of
her?” Vince asked.

“
I got the number from
Rita and called the house,” Alex said.

“
We need to ask Rita,”
Joseph pointed to Leena, and she called Rita Drayson.

“
Sir?” Royce asked. “Why
is the refugee thing so weird?”

“
Most camps are run by
Medecins Sans Frontières,” Alex said.

“
Doctors without Borders,”
Margaret translated.

“
We all speak French,”
Colin chided Margaret, and she smiled.

“
Alex knows people in
every camp,” Matthew said.

“
Doctors, mostly,” Alex
said. “I just . . . it’s so obvious.”

“
Maybe that’s why,” Raz
said. “Hide him right under your nose.”

“
But again, you’re
supposed to be dead,” Joseph said. “No one could have predicted
what happened.”

“
Sir, no offense
meant . . . ,” Royce started and then
stopped.

The team turned to look at
him.

“
If the goal was to
discredit you, what better way than putting someone in a place
where you have a lot of contacts,” Royce said. “It’s kind of, ‘See
she’s slipping.’ It could discredit you in the eyes of the
international community.”

“
Didn’t know he was
missing. It doesn’t seem like many people did.” She raised her
eyebrows and shrugged. “It does explain why these actions are in
the fall.”

The team fell silent
again.

“
Opium harvest cycle in
Afghanistan,” Alex said. “Opium harvest is
in . . .”

“
April,” Troy
said.

Leena raised her
hand.

“
Leena you don’t have
to . . . ,” Alex said.

“
Spit it out,” Joseph
said.

“
Rita says she talks to
Neev once a month, usually by Skype,” Leena said. “She doesn’t know
where Neev was in August, September, or October. She did speak with
her on that phone number.”

“
She could have been
anywhere,” Alex said. “I wonder if she knows where she was. I have
to remember to ask the Mister. Anything else?”

Leena shook her
head.

“
Okay, back to
Afghanistan,” Alex said. “I’m excited that we’ve learned something
about our dastardly villain.”

“
What’s that?” Joseph
asked.

“
Someone at the center of
this mess is involved in the opium trade in Afghanistan,” Alex
said. “The poppy is scratched for resin in April; refine and ship
to market in the summer; replant in September. When there’s snow on
the ground, it’s time to fuck with the Fey Team
again
.”

“
That’s got to be where
Joiner got his money,” Matthew said. “You know, the money in
Buffy’s secret accounts?”

“
I bet you’re right,” Alex
said.

“
Could the product in the
third locker have something to do with this?” Troy
asked.

“
I
wonder . . . ,” Alex said. “It’s been there too
long to be modern payoffs for drugs. Plus, the serial numbers match
the gold you spent a decade looking for in South America,
Troy.”

“
Could be some kind of
money laundering scheme,” Raz said.

“
Maybe,” Alex said. “Do we
have a contact in the Dubai drug market?”

“
We do,” Trece
said.

“
Can you make some
discrete enquiries?” Alex asked.

“
I probably can’t, but
someone from Steve’s team can,” Trece nodded.

“
Thanks,” Alex
said.

“
So what’s next?” Troy
asked.

“
I have to make some
calls,” Alex said. “If I find him, we go get him.”

“
We?” MJ asked.

“
Let me get through the
calls first,” Alex said. “It’s not like calling the Ritz Carlton.
It’s going to take me a while. I also need
to . . .”

Colonel Gordon stood in
the doorway. The team jumped to attention.

“
At ease,” Colonel Gordon
said.

He looked from person to
person. His eyes finally settled on Jeb.

“
You’ve got to be a
Scully,” Colonel Gordon said.

“
Jeb, sir,” he
said.

“
He’s my dad’s younger
brother,” MJ said. “He’s here to . . .”

“
It’s about time,” Colonel
Gordon smiled. “Where’s the pizza?”

“
We
didn’t . . . ,” Joseph stepped forward to greet
the Colonel.

“
By all means,” Colonel
Gordon said. “Ramirez, I bet you can’t stand being in any building
now. Ready for a drive?”

“
Yes, sir,” Trece
said.

“
Get that good pizza,”
Colonel Gordon said. “Not the cheap stuff.”

Trece looked at Alex, and
she nodded.

“
Looks like you’ll be here
a while,” Colonel Gordon said. “Mind if I borrow your Lieutenant
Colonel?”

Alex got up from her desk
and followed him out of the office. They walked down the hallway to
his office. He opened the door and turned on the light. She
followed him inside.

He turned around quickly.
Unsure, she jumped back. He smiled.

He held out his arms and
hugged her.

“
I’m so glad you made it,”
he said. “I’m sorry, I know it’s unprofessional. It’s just this
time, with everything, and Steve . . .”

She heard him
sniff.

“
Thank you, sir,” she
said. “You mean a lot to me as well.”

He stepped back and gave
her a little nod. Turning in place, he walked to his
desk.

“
When were you planning to
update me on the progress of this mission, Lieutenant Colonel?”
Colonel Gordon asked.

Alex grinned and told him
what she knew.

F

Two days later

Friday night

December 3 – 6:11 p.m.
MST

Denver, CO

“
Hi,” John said, and sat
down on the bed.

Alex rolled onto her back.
She smiled at him. He leaned down and kissed her lips.

“
What time is it?” she
asked.

“
Little after six-thirty,”
he said.

“
Wow,” she sat up in bed.
“Time flies.”

He gave her a soft
smile.

“
Are you home for the
weekend?” she asked.

“
I am,” he said. “I’ve
finished up with Dr. Wolfe. I won’t join the Children’s Hospital
trauma team until the new year. So, I’m footloose and fancy free.
You?”

“
I am,” she
said.

“
How are the calls to
refugee camps going?” John asked.

“
Not well,” Alex said.
“Ten years ago, I would have just gone. Of course, we would have
been in the region, so that’s easier. Today, I’d rather
nap.”

He smiled.

“
How’s your energy level?”
he asked.

“
Good, mostly,” she said.
“With spikes of exhaustion.”

“
Your last scan shows that
there’s a bit of the knife embedded in your scapula,” John said.
“I’m wondering if that’s causing the hemolytic anemia.”

“
What do you mean?” Alex
asked.

“
We know that Steve was
programmed to use a specific knife, right?” John asked.

Alex nodded.

“
We know the knife had
Heparin embedded in it,” John said.

“
Right,” Alex
said.

“
I’ve started to wonder if
the knife has other tricks,” John said.

“
Tricks?”

“
What if they intended to
leave that bit in you?” John asked.

“
It’s hard to imagine,”
Alex said. “If Steve’s programming had gone well, I should have
died.”

“
I know,” John said. “I’m
grateful for Steve’s . . .”

“
Capacity to suffer?” Alex
smiled.

“
Stubborn nature,” John
said.

“
Me too,” Alex
smiled.

“
The question is what to
do with the bit of knife you have inside you,” John
said.

“
More surgery,” Alex said.
“And I just got my stitches out and my bandages off.”

“
Right,” John
said.

Alex leaned back against
the headboard and stared at nothing. When she didn’t respond, he
moved over her to the bed. He tugged on her and she scooted down to
rest on his shoulder. Her whole body sighed into him. They lay in
the joy of their shared warmth.

“
When is the surgery
scheduled?” she asked.

“
Tomorrow morning,” he
said. “It’s unusual to do it on at the weekend, but it’s the first
time they could guarantee the security required.”

“
Are you doing the
surgery?” Alex asked.

“
Not this time,” John
said. “I’ll be available to assist in case anything pops loose, but
this is being done by your orthopedist.”

“
Well . . . ,” Alex let out a breath. “I
guess we’d better get busy.”

He laughed. She looked up
at him. His cobalt-blue eyes scanned her face and he kissed her.
She responded with equal fervor.

“
You’re not mad?” he
asked.

“
Mad?” Alex asked. “Sure,
I’m mad. I’m furious that no matter what I do, I can’t seem to keep
those I love safe. I really try. Every adult in the house is an
expert in some martial art. Even the children are martial arts
trained. All the doors and windows are locked. Security everywhere
and . . .”

“
In walks a relative of
mine,” John said.

“
You couldn’t have known,”
she said.

“
I know,” he said. “I’m
saying it’s hard for me, as well.”

She smiled.

“
I’m thinking of changing
the way I do things,” she said. “No active warfare, more armchair
directing. Why not send in the Marines or the Seals or the Rangers
– young, healthy men ready to serve their country?”

He gave her an ironic
smile.

“
You don’t believe me,”
she said.

“
I don’t,” he said. “And
that’s all right. You let me take that safe, sedate job working
with diabetes patients. You didn’t laugh at me or tell me I’d get
bored.”

“
To your face,” she
smiled.

“
What?” He looked offended
and she laughed. He smiled.

“
I’ll say this,” he said.
“I like that you’re thinking about it. When we have kids, we’ll
both want to be home more. It’s worth giving our lifestyle some
real thought.”

“
I have. I am,” Alex
nodded. “Yes. Right now, I wish I never had to get on another plane
ever in my whole life.”

“
Uh oh,” John said. “When
is your next trip?”