Page 37 of Code Name: Harbor

Cole and Royce engage in specific operational details between our two agencies including surveillance, asset deployment and comms protocols. I listen attentively, although I’m not sure if they want me involved.

That curiosity is answered sooner rather than later. Royce circles back to me. “Ms. McAdams. We need to talk about your protection.”

“My what?” I ask, head swinging between her and Malik, who happens to be nodding in what appears to be grave agreement.

“We know that Voronin’s men went through your vehicle and will know that you work for Jameson,” Royce says, and I don’t miss the slight censure in her voice.

“We could put her in a safe house arrangement,” Malik offers. I cut a glance at Cole whose expression remains impassive. Reid looks confused. “We have one available outside of Issaquah, secure, off the books. Jameson would maintain the cover.”

Royce considers this, but I’m firmly opposed.

“Malik,” I say and his attention comes to me. “May I say something?”

“Go ahead.”

“With all due respect, putting me in a safe house at this point is a worse option than keeping me in plain sight.”

The room turns to me.

“You said it yourself, Agent Royce. Voronin doesn’t know I survived. The version of events on the dock that night is that I went into the water and didn’t come out. Sokolov will have reported that. The most likely thing Voronin currently believes is that I drowned.”

“Likely,” Royce agrees.

“If they’re somehow watching Jameson and see that an agent disappears from work tomorrow, that will alert them. A Jameson analyst who suddenly stops coming into the building is visible. The minute you put me into protection will actually put more attention on me and I will be actively hunted.”

“Ms. McAdams,” Royce says, almost a little too kindly. “While I appreciate your zeal in wanting to stay on this case, surely you can’t think I’d fall for that reasoning.”

No, I didn’t. But I’m not done. “I’m the analyst who built most of this case. I’m running BOB and I have the pattern work that’s driving our objectives. Pulling me off the case at the moment we are about to operationalize what I built makes the case worse, not better. And my best personal protection is to look exactly like a Jameson analyst working an eight-to-five job. Boring. Visible. Not worth investigating.”

I look at Malik. “I’m asking you to put me back on the case. Officially. With whatever guardrails you and Agent Royce think are appropriate, but you need me to work this, and frankly… I need to work it.”

Malik rubs his jaw as he considers. Royce stays silent, willing to leave the decision to him.

He looks at me and I’m aware he’s deciding between the version of me that’s his employee and the version of me that’s the case.

“All right,” he says. “But there are conditions.”

“Name them.”

“You’re back on the Voronin case officially. You will run analytics in this building only and any fieldwork must be with a partner. You will not be at the office before seven or after eight. You will install additional security systems at your house, and you will check in with me by close of business every day. You’ll carry a panic beacon that I’ll issue you this afternoon and if at any point Agent Royce or I assess your exposure has escalated, you go to the safe house. No argument. Are we agreed?”

“Agreed.”

Royce closes her folder. “Good. Let’s begin.”

The meeting runs for another hour and Royce assigns us additional federal resources. Cole and Reid run scenarios with Royce’s junior agent, who turns out to have more field experience than I’d assumed based on his looks. The plan to surveil the next probable off-load window takes shape on a whiteboard, and the entire time, all I can think about is that while I’m back on the case, I actually am the case.

These two things are now braided together, and I can’t pull them apart.

When the meeting ends, everyone gathers their materials and rises from the table.

“Oh, and one other thing,” Royce says, and we all turn her way. But it’s to Cole that she’s looking. “We’re going to be setting up interviews of the two men who rescued Ms. McAdams from the water.”

Cole nods as if he was expecting this. “Finn Marlowe and Marcus Whitfield.”

“I’d love it if you could handle point.” She thumbs at the agent beside her. “I’ll probably have Agent Kazawic join you.”

A burst of adrenaline shoots through me at the realization that they’ll be talking to Finn. I mean, I suppose I knew that was a possibility, but no one had even mentioned his name until today.