Undercover Nightingale (11 page)

“How off?”

“She didn’t remember things. Little things. Chanler’s kids’ names, for one. Inside jokes. Agency procedure.”

“Still, you put her back in the field.”

“It was a busy time at the agency, and my superiors were climbing all over my ass. I had no choice. We needed her.”

“Did she look like she’d spent time as a captive?”

“She was thinner. Grant’s a brunette, but she colored her hair blond when she came to the agency six years ago. You know the statistics on blondes. Men love them. Anyway, her hair was grown out some. She looked tired. Like she’d been interrogated, possibly tortured. I did have some basic observation tests run. She came through them with no problem.”

“How long was it before you put her back in the field?”

“Ten days.”

“Ten days? How did you get your superiors to approve that?”

“I faked the records. Kept her off the field charts. No one knew but me and Chanler. Once she disappeared again, and I realized the disk was gone, I knew who had taken it.”

“But you didn’t tell your superiors.”

“No. The disk was prepared with an acid overlay that once exposed to air, would vaporize the data in twenty-four hours. It was also encrypted. The SDECE is confident that the disk destroyed itself before it could be decoded.”

“But you don’t think so.”

“The timing with Grant’s disappearance makes me suspect. I never expressed my fears to the SDECE, however. Instead, I sent Chanler on vacation and filed a false report a month later fabricating a mission that I’d sent Chanler and Grant on. I padded the time she would have been in step-down being rehabilitated.”

“Then you sent Chanler out into the field to hunt down Grant?”

“Yes. Chanler found her in Munich. Soon after, he lost her in Athens. I lost contact with him after that, and then one day I got an e-mail from him. All it said was that he was at Nescosto and that he’d found Grant. Two days later you blew Petrov’s headquarters out of the water and took Chanler with it.”

“But not Grant?”

“If she was there, she got out. Grant’s alive, I feel it in my bones.”

“That’s when you decided to use Onyxx and Ash Kelly, which brings me back to my question. How did you learn Ash’s true identity?”

“Y
ou’re sure he called her Jazmin Grant?”

“I sure as hell couldn’t have made something like that up.”

Ash continued to pace the floor in Sly’s hotel suite. He had been playing the scenario over in his mind since they had left Ballvaro.

Sly asked, “Tell me again how you found her? From the moment you found Chanler with Grant. Hell, you’re sure Nightingale is Jazmin Grant?”

“I was trying to get the crowd under control after the shots were fired when I saw her slip out the side door. I went after her, but by the time I got through the door she was headed for the courtyard. I followed. Heard the voices.” Ash swore. “This is crazy. How could she be Grant? I thought I had this figured out. Boy, was I wrong.”

Sly asked, “And you heard Chanler call her a traitor?”

“Yes, but she denied it.”

“Of course she did. You said he was holding a gun on her at the time.”

Ash swore. “I don’t know. She got upset when he called her that. She said she was undercover.”

Sly snorted. “At that point she would have said anything, don’t you think?”

Ash felt sick. He should be seeing this in the same way Sly was, but he couldn’t. Hell, maybe he just didn’t want to. “She said Grant had to die, so she could go undercover. That’s why she’s got a new face and identity. Hell, I can relate to that.” He turned and looked at Sly. “So can you.”

“But we didn’t do it to become a traitor,” Sly reminded.

Ash stopped pacing. “Chanler’s an arrogant sonofabitch. He’s hasn’t told us a thing.”

“Would you? You shot him in the leg. He probably thinks you’re working with her.”

“I told him who we are.”

“He doesn’t know who he can trust. Maybe I should have a go at him.”

“No. I’ve got a new angle. I’ll try again.”

“Take it easy on him. He’s just acting like an agent whose partner stole a top secret disk, and handed it over to the enemy.”

“I still think we’re missing something.” Ash began to pace again.

“Stillman says she’s a traitor. Chanler believes it. She’s got a new face and she’s with Filip Petrov. It’s pretty obvious that she’s working for the enemy, Ash. Sometimes things don’t turn out like we want them to, but we still have to face the facts. When are you going to talk to her?”

“When I get back from seeing Chanler. If she’s awake. That sedative really knocked her out.”

“When you do, don’t let her get to you.”

Ash took offense. “I know how to do my job, Sly.”

“Then do it. You might not like how this is going to play out, but you’ve got some pretty heavy evidence against her. It’s obvious she’s had some reconstruction done.” Sly picked up a copy he’d made of the old Jazmin Grant. “Her nose and cheeks have been altered. Her lips are fuller. Even the mole is new. Hair and eye color could easily be explained away, but not the rest.”

Ash turned away. He was still having trouble believing that Allegra was Jazmin Grant. There was no resemblance at all. But Sly was right, he couldn’t dispute the facts. They were staring him in the face.

“I left another message on Merrick’s phone to call me,” Sly said.

“He still hasn’t contacted you?”

“No.”

“You worried?”

“It’s not like him to ignore his messages. You going to call Stillman?”

“Not yet. I need to talk to Chanler first, then Alle—Jazmin Grant.”

“And if Chanler can prove she’s a traitor?”

Ash gave Sly a hard look. “If the pieces fit, then I’ll have no choice but to believe the truth. But right now I don’t know what that is, so I’m leaving the door open.” He rubbed the back of his neck, then walked to the desk and started to round up the paperwork they had compiled on the mission—information that Sly had turned up, as well as the files that Stillman had given him in Paris. “I’ll be in Naldo’s suite talking to Chanler. I’ll be back to talk to Jazmin Grant then. Keep an eye on her.”

“You got it.”

Ash left Sly’s room and headed for Naldo’s suite. He rapped on the door and Naldo promptly answered. He was wearing a serious face tonight. Things had started to heat up, and his easy-joking mood had been put on hold.

“How’s Chanler?”

“He’s pissed, and I had to gag him to keep him quiet. His leg wound is a minor inconvenience. I told him he shouldn’t have tried to run.”

Ash said, “If you need to step out and get some air, go ahead. Come back in an hour.”

Once Naldo left, Ash entered the bedroom. Chanler was on the bed, eyes closed, his feet and hands manacled. Naldo had stuffed one of his socks in his mouth.

He opened his eyes when he heard the door close.

“Okay, Chanler, I’m going to take that sock out of your mouth and you and I are going to have another talk. If you decide not to cooperate, I’m going to shoot you again. Only this time, it’s going to be a little higher,
comprendo
?” Ash removed the sock, then pulled a chair close to the bed and sat. “I’m not going to ask my questions twice, so listen good. As I said before, I work for the SDECE, we’re comrades, and—”

“I don’t believe you. If you want me to talk, call Stillman. He’s the only person I’ll talk to.”

Ash swore. “I know the story. Grant took off with a disk and Stillman’s been looking for her ever since. So my friend, if you’re SDECE, why haven’t you checked in with Stillman before now? He thinks you’re dead. And another thing; if you had called him, then you would know that I was brought in to replace you.”

Chanler considered what Ash said. “Give me something else to prove you’re who you say you are.”

“You have a wife and kids, and a dog. And Grant has been your partner from the beginning. Six years. Stillman always liked her better than you. He thought she was a superior agent.”

“That bitch is a traitor!”

“Then help me prove it.”

“Stillman sent me to hunt her down. I managed to locate her at Nescosto. I almost had her, then some asshole blew the place up. I managed to get out. Grant did too.”

“So after Nescosto, you followed her here.”

“Yes.”

“Did you ambush the car at Ballvaro five days ago?”

“Yes.”

“So you want her dead?”

“No, I want her to rot in prison, but I was beginning to think that was never going to happen. So I decided
dead
was better than nothing.”

“Bad move.”

“I admit it was a mistake. I’ve been in the field for months. I’d like to go home while my balls still work and before I’m bald.”

“Do you know who she’s working for?”

Chanler hesitated. “I need to speak to Stillman. If he okays it, then I’ll tell you the rest.”

Ash didn’t want Stillman involved just yet. The bastard could have filled him in on half of this crap a week ago. He’d never trusted him, and he still didn’t.

“The SDECE thinks you’re dead, Chanler. So does your wife and kids.”

The look on his face confirmed that Felton Chanler loved his wife and family. “They think I’m dead?”

“That’s right. I sympathize with your situation, I really do. But that disk is somewhere in Budapest and I need to find it. So I want to know everything you know here and now, or your wife and kids will keep thinking you’re dead.” Ash smiled. “Dead and buried at Nescosto. So what’s it going to be, Chanler? You going to tell me what I need to know, then make a phone call to you wife and ease her suffering, or are you going to stay dead?”

“
I’m Allegra Nightingale.”

That’s right. Jazmin Grant is dead. You’re Agent Nightingale now. An undercover agent.”

“Who do I work for?”

“We fly no flag.”

“You’re a traitor. I followed the stench. Jazmin Grant, a traitor.”

“Chanler!”

Allegra jerked awake and sat up.

No, she thought, it couldn’t be true. She wasn’t a traitor. She was an undercover agent. Chanler didn’t know that, because no one was supposed to know. Not Stillman, not anyone.

But if that was true, then why did she feel so sick inside? Like something was terribly wrong, and that it was all her fault?

She clutched her head, as a memory stole her breath. It was as if someone had pressed the reverse button, then hit fast forward. It fractured her thinking, and she was suddenly remembering bits and pieces.

Munich.

Cyrus.

Athens.

She heard the door open, and she expected to see Toriago walk in. He’d rescued her at Ballvaro in the courtyard.

She would be in debt to him again, but right now she didn’t care about that. She just needed to remember.

To her surprise it was a stranger who walked into the room. He was tall and built like a machine. Handsome in a dangerous way that reminded her of Toriago.

“You’re awake. Good.”

“I must have been given something. What was it?”

“A sedative. You were pretty hysterical.”

She had good reason, she thought. Chanler had accused her of treason. “Who are you?”

“My name’s Sly McEwen. Who are you?”

“I’m Allegra Nightingale.”

He frowned. “She doesn’t really exist. We know that. I was talking about your real name.”

He knew who she was. “Where’s Toriago?”

“Out right now.”

“I need to make a phone call.”

“Sorry, that’s going to have to wait, Miss Grant.”

“I really need to make a phone call.”

“And who would you call?”

“I…can’t tell you that. Where’s Chanler?”

“He’s busy right now.”

“Busy or dead?”

“He’s alive. His leg wound is minor. Where’s the disk?”

“What disk?”

“The one you stole from the SDECE.”

She slumped back against the headboard. What had she done? God, she wished she could remember. Was it true? Was she a traitor?

“Tell me what your mission is, then maybe we’ll let you make that phone call.”

“We?”

He leaned into the door jamb and crossed his arms over his broad chest. He was very cool, as if he was used to interrogating the enemy.

The enemy? Was she the enemy?

“The mission? You were about to tell me what you’re doing in Budapest. Does it involve the disk?”

She had no idea what she was doing in Budapest, and an agent always knew what her mission was. But she didn’t, and that fact made her wonder if Chanler was right.
Had
she been used in some way?

“It would be better if you cooperated with us. Ash isn’t too happy with you right now. When he’s not happy, it’s hard to tell what he might do.”

“Who’s Ash?”

“He’s…the tough guy in this outfit.”

“And you’re the good guy, Mr. McEwen?”

“I guess.”

“Not a very original game.”

He waited, but she wasn’t going to tell him anything. She had to make a phone call. But who would she call? If Cyrus had tricked her, then she couldn’t call him.

And if Stillman believed she was a traitor, he would never buy her story that she had no idea what was going on.

“Suit yourself.” He started out the door, then turned back. “I’ll let Ash know you’re awake.”

“I want to see Toriago.”

“Is she awake?” Ash asked.

“She’s in the bathroom.”

Ash had just stepped back into Sly’s suite after interrogating Chanler. The man had spilled his guts on the pretense he was going to get to call his wife.

Ash had promised him he could make the call, but it hadn’t worked out that way. Right now it was better if Stillman continued to believe that Chanler was still dead. A call to his wife would have ended all that.

Chanler wasn’t happy right now—he’d called Ash every name in the book, and then some.

He’d gotten so loud that he was again wearing Naldo’s sock.

“Get anything out of him?”

“He talked this time.”

“And do you believe him?”

Ash didn’t want to, but it looked like Jazmin Grant had sold out the SDECE. At least, that was Chanler’s story, and he had a good case against her.

“He claims Stillman ignored his warning about Grant after she disappeared the first time. He says after she took off the second time, Stillman sent him after her. He was at Nescosto when we took it down.”

“Looking for Grant?”

“He claims she was there. It holds up if Allegra Nightingale is in fact Jazmin Grant. We know she was with Filip, and he came to Budapest straight from Nescosto.”

Sly nodded. “And when Nescosto fell and Stillman thought Chanler was dead, he went to Onyxx and pulled you in. Everything fits.”

“Does it?”

Sly sighed. “Come on, Ash. It’s all right in front of you. Why don’t you want to believe it?”

Ash turned his back on Sly. “Maybe because I know what will happen to her when I take her back.”

“It was her choice. By the way, I talked to her. From what she’s not saying, I think she’s guilty as hell. She wants to make a phone call. I’ll give one guess who that will be to.”

“I said I wanted to be the first one to talk to her.”

“As Ash Kelly?”

“What does that mean?”

“She wants to talk to Toriago. Is there something more between you two than you’re letting on? We could take her back to Washington if you want to step back. There are ways to make her talk.”

Ash had sat in on interrogation sessions at Onyxx. They were no picnic.

“I’ll handle it.” He started down the hall.

“You think you’re up to it?”

He turned around. “What?”

“It’s hard to see things clearly when you’re not thinking entirely with your head.”

“Are you questioning my loyalty?”

“Should I be?”

Maybe Sly was right to ask him that, but he wasn’t going to hang her until he knew she deserved the noose. “I’ll get the truth out of her,” Ash said. “If she’s guilty, then I’ll do what has to be done.”

He walked down hall and opened the bathroom door without giving her any warning. The sudden intrusion surprised her, but it also surprised Ash.

She had stripped off the party gown and she was naked. Naked and covered in bruises.

“What the hell happened?”