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Zanelli took a seat, and I did as well.
“So what’s the big secret?” I asked.
He slid across a small cloth pouch. “Your protectee is a woman, is that correct?”
“Yes.” At least I had a clue now that this had to do with Kelly Benson.
He pointed at the pouch. “That is a tracking medallion disguised as jewelry.”
I opened the pouch and poured the contents into my palm.
“She should wear it at all times, and if she feels threatened, she should press the center stone. Try it.”
I pressed in the middle of the necklace and felt the click of a button.
His phone started chirping. He punched the screen and stopped the noise. “This is normally only given to assistant-cabinet-secretary-level protectees and above. Its existence is to remain secret. You are only authorized to give it to her if she signs the 312.” He removed another form 312 from his pocket and slid it over. “I don’t agree, but I’ve been told to authorize you to give your protectee this, if and when you are certain she can be trusted with it.”
I accepted the form and returned the necklace to its pouch.
“Are you positive she can be trusted?” he asked.
I gave him the honest answer. “I don’t know yet.” At this point I didn’t even expect her to stick around. “I won’t give this to her until I’m certain.”
That assurance seemed to put him more at ease. “And not without the 312,” he reminded me as he rose. He pulled a phone out of his pocket, punched the screen, and handed it to me. “Use this app if you need to locate her. And, that phone is covered by the 312 as well. Nobody else gets access to that.”
I nodded. “What’s the range?” I asked, turning the small pouch over in my hand.
“Anywhere in DC. Outside of the district and surrounding counties, range is limited.”
“Who do I have to thank for this?”
“Your director. And if the existence of this leaks out, even he won’t be able to protect you from us. Your hide will be on my wall.”
A minute later he was gone, and I was back at my desk.
Ashley Benson had more influence at HQ than I’d imagined if she had pulled this off. The Secret Service did not share well with anyone.
An hour later, my phone dinged with an incoming text.
KELLY: I’m in
She’d surprised me. I let out a relieved sigh. I knew the longer it took her to decide, the more likely it would be that she’d rabbit, and we’d lose this chance to catch the Unsub before the body count went up.
Neil looked up. “News?” He knew I was waiting on a decision from Kelly.
“Benson’s in. So we’re a go.” I pulled out my wallet and handed over a twenty. “I didn’t figure she’d have the balls.”
He plucked the money from my hand as I went to tell the ASAC the operation was on.
What still remained to be seen was if Kelly would have the guts to stick it out for more than a few days.
“Better not screw this up, Cartwright,” was Dempsey’s reaction to the news. “If this operation goes south, I’m feeding you to the AD.” He clearly had hoped Kelly would decline, and he wouldn’t have the AD breathing down his neck.
“Look on the bright side,” I told him. “Neil and I are going to catch this guy, and you might get your own FO to run.”
He smiled. Dempsey was itching for a promotion to SAC of his own field office. “Get outta here and get busy, then. And don’t take any chances.”
I left without argument. His statement was Dempsey speak fordon’t tell me what you’re doing. If it works, I approved it. If it doesn’t, I didn’t, and it’s your fucking fault. Standard Bureau procedure. Being bottom of the food chain sucked.
