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“I emailed the file on Catarina Keys.”
“Anything stick out?” I asked as I pulled my tablet out of my messenger bag.
“All of it stuck out,” Rhode answered.
“Care to elaborate?”
I had the file open when Rhode continued.
“Joined the Army at nineteen. By twenty-two she’d made a name for herself not only within her brigade but the CIA took notice. She was young, unassuming, and beautiful. They approached but she turned them down. She did two deployments to Germany. The CIA approached again, this time not to recruit her but with a specific mission.”
“What was the mission?” Jack inquired.
“Chatter about school bombings.”
I tried to remember any school bombings in Europe or the US and came up blank.
“I don’t remember there being any bombings.”
“There were none. The CIA stopped them, thanks to Catarina.”
Well, fuck.
“Do you know Lincoln Parker?” Rhode went on.
Lincoln Parker was a former SEAL working for his brother Zane Lewis, also a former SEAL at a private security firm in Maryland.
“Ghost?” Jack asked, using Lincoln’s callsign.
“Yeah, his wife Jasmin was human intel. During her time in the Army she was known as the best. Six years ago she taught an investigative interviewing and advanced interrogation class at the Logan Institute. Catarina took that class. I called Linc, explained the situation, and he put his wife on the phone. Jasmin remembered Catarina. Not only did she remember her but when she heard Catarina was leaving the Army she tried to recruit her, but Catarina had already signed on with Homeland. A year later Jasmin heard Catarina wasn’t happy at Homeland, made another call but Catarina had accepted the position at the SOIB. Jasmin is itching to get Catarina on the Z Corps team.”
Jack whistled.
“High praise coming from Nightstalker. Rumor has it the woman likes no one.”
Jack wasn’t wrong. I’d met Jasmin a few times. She was a five foot nothing badass who had the attitude of Pit Bull.
My phone vibrated. I pulled it out, engaged the screen, and irately closed Atlee’s last text, and went to the new text from Joan.
“They’re on the way up,” I announced. “Thanks for the call, Rhode.”
“Something I didn’t put in the report. Jasmin’s only concern, but she was clear to point of it also proved her point that Catarina’s an asset to any team. She doesn’t follow orders, at least not to the letter. She goes her own way and follows her gut. Something the Army frowned on, the CIA exploited, Homeland couldn’t control, and now it’s yet to be determined what the Marshal Service thinks about her going rogue. This is how Jasmin thinks she’s going to get Catarina to join Z Corps. There are no rules, they’ll let her go her own way. Zane and his men operate in the gray and that’s where Catarina thrives.”
Jasmin may have loved that, but for me, it was going to be a problem.
There was a knock on the door. Jack ended the call while I went to let in the Marshals.
After introductions were made and pleasantries exchanged we were seated in the living area. It was Catarina who broke the silence.
“I’m not convinced this plan will work.”
My gaze went to Catarina’s two companions. Joan Heffner’s perfectly made-up face remained bland and if I didn’t know better I’d think she was bored. However, I’d worked with the woman on a few jobs; Joan kept her facial expression in check. She was hard to read but Tyree Miller hadn’t quite perfected the art. He’d given away his thoughts with a frown before he hid his disapproval.
“You don’t agree with Ms. Keys’ assessment?” I asked the man.
“I think she’s new to the project and is eager to make a name for herself.”
“Tell us how you really feel,” Catarina returned with a smile.
