AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I owe my sister a big gift.”
She smiled. “Why is that?”
“She’s the one who talked Micah and me into going to Seattle. As soon as the dust settles, she’ll remember and won’t shut up about it.”
She chuckled and was about to suggest they go back upstairs, but his mobile rang.
“Hey, Conner.”
She moved away from him, but he grabbed her hand and kept her standing beside him.
“Shit. Yeah, I know that name.”
He was quiet for a few seconds, and took the opportunity to kiss her knuckles.
“When?” Another silence. “I’ll see when you get here.”
He hung up and looked at her. She knew there was something pretty bloody important if Conner was coming over right away at this time of night.
“Do you know anything about the Spencer File?”
She cocked her head to the side and thought. Then the stories came flooding back to her and she smiled. “Oh, that. It’s an urban fantasy.”
He didn’t smile. “Tell me.”
“There was a rumor about a spy who had sold information to some of our enemies. The problem was that it seemed to pop up whenever we had a mission go bad without explanation. I remember early on in my career, we had one big bloody fuck up, but sometimes it is just a coincidence or someone slipped somewhere. So many of us are guarded all the time, but it just takes one little slip—a drunken confession, something like that. So, in the end it isn’t true. It’s used to scare agents I think.”
Devon shook his head. “No. The Spencer File was pretty damned real, because I was the one who discovered it and brought it to the attention of the CIA and MI-6.”
“Wait. This went back too many years to be one person. That’s why it was always dismissed.”
“I had come up with some information, or at least a theory that it was a network of double agents who were recruited by the others already working as a mole.”
“But what does that have to do with my father?” she asked. “You’re not suggesting that my father was a traitor are you?”
He shook his head. “No. Conner uncovered your father’s files. I don’t even want to know what laws Maura broke, but they found references to it. That’s why he was looking for me. He needed help working on what he wanted to find out.”
“Are you telling me my father read your file and wanted to connect with you about that?”
He nodded. “I think so. I also think it’s what might have gotten him killed.”
Eighteen
By the time Conner got to the house, they had dressed. Alicia tried to calm her heart rate, but it was hard to do. Devon showed Conner into the office. Alicia could tell from his expression that it wasn’t good news.
He shook his head and gave her an apologetic glance. “I hate to bother y’all this late at night, but we also got a hit right before I came over. Rory called with the information. Right now, I don’t want to do any more talking over the phone.”
She knew Rory was one of the head security specialists they employed and one of the few people who had known who she was.
“No problem. And I have to agree. Using the phone, no matter how secure, is always a security issue. Truth is, the sooner we figure all of this out, the sooner I can feel safe again.”
The idea that she would finally be able to just live her life was a fantasy she’d never thought would come true. She’d been looking over her shoulder for so many years…and she wanted to be a regular mom to Bridget.
Conner pulled out his tablet, tapped on the screen a few times and brought up the files.
“So, what’s this about the Spencer file?” she asked. “What did you find?”
“The Spencer File. Yes, well, I’d always thought it one of those rumors that were never going to be proven.” He looked at Alicia with a hint of understanding in his eyes. “All spooks have that weird story of a spy selling secrets. Born and raised in the country they have been ordered to destroy. The big one here was of a Soviet being raised as an American.”
