Rogue Ghost (CIA Ghost Series Book 1) (2 page)

Parker put the laptop on the kitchen counter as she finished making her bagel. Burnett appeared on the screen.

“Alex, we have your new mission,” she stated.

“Uhh, great. So where am I going?” Parker asked, trying to sound upbeat about it.

“Well, Director Nelson will tell you about it.”

“Director Nelson?”

Nelson then came on, a split screen showing Burnett on the left and Nelson on the right appearing.

“Unfortunately, we’ve got a rogue ghost.”

“That’s terrible,” Parker replied.

“I’ve been looking at your file. I’m just wondering what I should call you?” the director asked.

“Sir?”

“Cassandra Benson, Evelyn Altimiri, Ava Nixon, Ingrid Renberg, Sara Zorn, Holly Backman, Emily Lee, Tasha…” he kept going.

“Umm, excuse me sir, I don’t mean to interrupt, but what is…what’s the point of all this?” she tactfully asked.

“Just trying to figure out which is the real you. Twenty eight years old, been with the agency ten years, seventeen different aliases.”

“Well, they’re all the real me,” she smiled, not sure what he was getting at. “And actually it’s only sixteen. One is my real name.”

“Which one is that?”

“To be honest it’s been so long since I used it that I almost forget,” she joked.

“So which one are you today?”

“Well, I’m kind of partial to the name I’m using right now, Alex Parker.”

“You have an impressive file, Ms. Parker,” Nelson told her.

“Uhh, thank you.”

“You are highly recommended by everyone who’s ever done business with you.”

“Thank you again, I guess,” she smiled.

“Well, Ms. Parker, we’re sending you to California for your next mission.”

“I’m staying in the states?”

“Is that a problem?”

“No. No problem. It’s just with all the other missions I’ve been on I’ve been out of the country for a few years,” she explained. “Just a little weird to finally stay home. So what’s the mission? Am I going with Heath?”

“You might want to sit down,” he warned.

Alex looked at the screen funny and knew right away with that warning that something big was going on. The smile slowly faded from her face as she slowly sat down and waited for the director to explain the details.

“You’re going to Los Angeles to find Heath Davis. Pasadena to be precise.”

“Heath? I don’t understand,” she said with a shake of her head. “Why would I need to find Heath? Heath is here. I just saw him yesterday.”

“He was here. He immediately flew out to California on a private jet minutes after you handed over the Iran disc.”

“I’m sorry sir, but I’m not really processing this well. Why would Heath get on a private jet to California?” she asked.

“Because your partner’s gone rogue,” the director revealed.

“What? No, that’s impossible. We just got back from Russia and turned over the…”

“The Iran documents, I know. Unfortunately we also have this video,” he told her.

A video of Davis sneaking into an office and going onto a computer played on the screen next to the general. Davis was clearly copying material onto his own discs and putting them in his pocket. Parker was watching intently, not believing what she was seeing.

“When was that video taken?” Parker asked.

“While you were talking to Burnett, Davis was doing business for himself. He thought he disabled the video system in the office but didn’t realize that a backup camera immediately went online once the initial system malfunctions.”

“There must be another explanation. Maybe he’s on another mission none of us are privy to…,” she started.

“The only mission he’s on is his own. I’ve checked with everybody who’s authorized to be viewing that material and use that room, and he’s not sanctioned to be copying files for his own use.”

“Do we know what he took?”

“Our technicians are going over the computer. Right now it appears he downloaded approximately twenty thousand different case files. We’re still determining the exact amount and which ones.”

“Twenty thousand,” she whispered, shocked at the number.

“This is a major security breach. Not only are thousands of files in jeopardy of falling into the wrong hands, he also download the identities of thousands of agents, including their codenames, aliases, contacts, etc.”

“So what do you think he’s up to?”

“We have no idea. He’s either working for somebody or he’s working for himself and intends to sell the information to the highest bidder.”

“That’s not Heath.”

“That’s not the Heath you know. But the video doesn’t lie…does it?” the director asked.

“No.”

“Your mission is twofold. One, find Davis. Two, he contacted someone named Ryan Turner. The NSA tracked an email he sent to Turner, who just so happens to live in Pasadena.”

“What did the email say?”

“It was very vague. I’ll send it to you as part of your package on the mission.”

“So who is this Turner?”

“I’m emailing you what we have on him but he appears to be a nobody. Why Davis would contact him we don’t know. But find Turner and see what Davis has told him. They may be working together somehow.”

“OK.”

“One more thing…you’re getting a new partner for this assignment.”

“Who is it?”

“His name is Jim Cole. He is…”

“I’ve heard of him. He’s cold, ruthless, relentless, dangerous, and…”

“And he will do what’s necessary in the event you are unable to bring Davis back in.”

“Why would I be unable to bring him back?” Parker asked.

“I’m not a fool, Ms. Parker. I’m well aware of your romantic history with Davis,” Nelson explained.

“Director…,” Parker started, stumbling over what to say.

“Please, I’m not interested in the details. Despite your history, you’re being sent because you know him better than anyone.”

“I understand and please be assured that any attachments we may have had are clearly in the past and in no way will affect my job.”

“Very well. Just the same, Cole will do what’s necessary if you fail.”

“Which is?” Parker asked.

“He will kill him. Cole has already been briefed and is en route to Los Angeles as we speak. He will meet you at the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. Good luck.”

Parker sat back and stared at the wall, still reeling from hearing Davis had gone rogue. They’d been so close that she had a tough time believing it. She still felt that there was another reason for what he’d done. Maybe he was on an assignment so deep that it required him to appear to turn on them. She was going to cling to that hope. Regardless, she wasn’t about to let the kill-happy Cole get to him first.

Burbank, California—Cole was already waiting for Parker when she got off the plane and immediately recognized her from the file photo he was given of her.

“Agent Parker. Pleasure to meet you. Heard a lot about you,” Cole greeted.

“Likewise.”

Cole was thirty five years old and a twelve year veteran of the agency. He was a big guy, standing six-two and well built. He was highly thought of as he always finished a mission to completion, regardless of his own personal safety. Nothing was more important to him than completing his assignment. He’d been shot on three previous occassions, twice in the left shoulder and once in the leg. He loved his job and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. His love for violence made him ideally suited for the kind of work he did. Personal feelings never clouded his judgment or got in the way of his duties. His motto was job first, everything else second.

Strangely enough, the reputation Cole had was basically the same one Parker had. Though she had model type looks with the blonde hair, blue eyes, and a knockout figure, she packed quite a punch on her five foot-six inch frame. She had quickly become one of the agency’s go-to agents on the tougher assignments due to her dedication and willingness to do whatever it took to get the job done. She was well versed in mixed martial arts and was equally dangerous with a gun or a knife.

“Where do they have us staying?” Parker wondered.

“They got us condo style apartments on Bellevue.”

“Why there?”

“Oh, Turner’s gonna be in the middle of us. We have an apartment on each side of him.”

“Wonder how they made that happen so fast.”

“I believe the tenants were told of the bug problem and were given a generous sum to move,” Cole said. “There’s a team moving everything in as we speak. Turner’s at work so he has no idea what’s going on.”

“So how do you wanna make contact?”

“I say we just go over to his apartment and beat the information out of him.”

“And what if he’s not actually involved in anything?” Parker asked.

“Then we’ll know,” Cole replied, unconcerned.

“Why do you seem to like hurting people so much?”

“Just part of my DNA I guess. This coming from a girl who’s rumored to have over eighty confirmed kills over the last six years.”

“I do what has to be done. But I don’t enjoy it.”

“I guess that’s what separates us. I love it,” Cole happily told her.

“I can tell.”

“So you have a better idea?” Cole asked.

“Why don’t I just introduce myself as a new neighbor and gain his trust? I can get into his apartment and access his computer.”

“I guess if you wanna do it the hard way.”

Parker and Cole drove to their new apartments and started to unpack their belongings. It was almost six o’clock and they figured Turner would be home soon. They put some boxes by their front doors to sell their covers that they were just moving in. About twenty after six, Turner pulled into his usual spot and started walking toward his apartment, bags of groceries in his arms. As Parker saw him coming she walked out of her apartment and toward her car to bring in some boxes. Turner noticed the boxes on both sides of his apartment.

“I didn’t even know they were moving out,” he said to himself.

Turner saw Parker carrying the boxes and cursed himself that he was carrying groceries instead of offering to help his beautiful new neighbor.

“Of all the days to go to the store,” he said, reaching his door. He put the bags down on a chair outside as he put the key in the door. He looked back at Parker, who flashed him a smile as she went inside her apartment.

“Things are finally looking up around here,” Turner said. He heard the door open to his other new neighbor’s apartment and saw Cole grabbing a box. Cole looked at him, but not as friendly as Parker did.

“Or maybe not. Definitely not as pretty,” he joked to himself.

Parker waited for a little while before going over to introduce herself. She didn’t want to appear too eager. She practiced the story she wanted to tell him in her mind a few times to make sure she had it right. An hour went by and she went over to Turner’s apartment and knocked on the door. She knocked on the door three times with no answer. She waited a few seconds and then knocked three more times. She heard what sounded like Turner hurrying over to the door.

“Coming, coming,” he shouted, opening the door.

“Hi,” Parker smiled.

“Hi.”

“Umm, I’m Alex. I just moved in next door,” she said, offering her hand.

“Ryan,” Turner replied, shaking her hand.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I interrupt your dinner?” she asked, smelling that something was cooking.

“Oh, no, it’s fine. I just threw on a couple hamburgers. No big deal.”

“I’m sorry, I’ll come back another time. I don’t want to interrupt you and your family eating.”

“What? No, it’s OK, really. Besides, it’s just me. No family here to speak of,” he replied, talking fast. The unexpected presence of a beautiful woman made him nervous.

“Well if you’re sure.”

“Believe me, it’s not a problem,” Turner said. “Umm, would you like to come in?”

“Thank you.”

Turner let Parker in and looked up to the ceiling as if he was thanking someone for bringing a beautiful woman to his door.

“So what can I do for you?” Turner asked.

“Well, I have a really big problem and I was hoping you’d be able to help. If you can’t just say so and I won’t mind, really.”

“What’s the problem?”

“Well I just moved here from New York for my job and my boss was sending me an important email attachment that I need for tomorrow and I just unpacked my computer and it was broken,” Parker lied.

“Oh, that’s terrible. I’m pretty good with computers. Want me to take a look at it?” he offered.

“Really, that’s very sweet of you, but the screen’s cracked.”

“Oh. Yeah, you’re out of luck with that one. That’ll be an expensive fix.”

“I know. I just don’t know how else I’d get that email. I was wondering if you possibly had a computer I could borrow for five minutes?” she innocently asked.

“Yeah, sure. I have a laptop, desktop, tablet, whatever you need. The desktop’s in my bed…I’ll just grab my laptop for you,” he said, getting it from his bag.

Turner put the laptop on the coffee table and turned it on as Parker sat next to him on the couch.

“As soon as it powers up you can log into your email,” Turner said.

“Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. I brought a flash drive to transfer it if you don’t mind.”

“Sure. I’m sorry, I didn’t offer you a drink. Would you like anything? Water, soda, juice, beer?”

“Yeah,” Parker smiled. “A water would be nice.”

“One water coming up,” Turner said, getting up to go to the fridge.

Parker put the flash drive in the laptop. It was a specially formatted flash drive that allowed the entire contents of the computer to be downloaded onto it. It would take a few minutes so she’d have to stall for it to be completed. A minute later Turner arrived, two waters in hand.

“You able to pull it up?” he asked, handing his beautiful visitor her drink.

“Yeah, thank you. They’re some really large files so it might just take a minute or two.”

“Take your time. What kind of work do you do?”

“Oh, I’m a Coordinator for a security company,” she told him.

“That sounds interesting.”