Page 16 of The Twilight Theft

I pushed my sunglasses to the top of my head and absorbed the view. Inhaling the sea air, I sank onto the bench and breathed in the serenity. It was a beautiful city, so much quieter than the constant buzz around Washington. Sure, Washington was quieter than somewhere like New York, but it was full of power brokers, all the same.

When I left the CIA, my plan had been for a simpler life. Put my parents’ death behind me, marry my gorgeous girlfriend, and start a family.

Instead, I traded a career in lies for a career in spin. Discovered the truth my parents had hidden. Found out what my girlfriend had been doing while I wasn’t watching. And I wound up alone.

At least my old career was about standing up for something and preserving the Nation. That was a positive. My new career was about preserving reputations and bank accounts.

My watch vibrated and I shut off the alarm, stowing the water in my belt. I took the phone from my armband and held it to my ear.

“Hello?” I said to the silence on the other end as I pulled my sunglasses down again. “You caught me in the middle of a run. How’s New York?”

I nodded a few times, made noises of assent. To the outside world, I was having a wonderful chat with my sister, who was on a trip with some friends. In reality, I was counting down the final seconds until my contact arrived.

Gideon had offered to fly me back yesterday after I’d met with the Reynolds team, but I had a meeting I’d already rescheduled for this morning. One I’d been waiting for six months to have, as other intelligence officers did their thing without me.

Another runner approached, sweat collecting at her hairline. She breathed deeply and pointed at the bench. When I nodded, she put a foot on it and leaned over. In an RP accent so smooth she must have cultivated it for years, she said, “Nice shoes. I have the same model in pink at home.”

“Can’t talk.” I gestured at my phone. “I’m talking to my sister.”

With the recognition phrases out of the way, she untied her shoe, keeping her head down. Her long blonde ponytail fell forward as she fiddled with the laces, adjusting, as though her shoe were horribly uncomfortable.

“Sorry for the last-minute location change.” My trip to Halifax had been a surprise, although not a wholly unwelcome one. Being near the water always calmed me. Something I’d need after this conversation.

“I don’t mind. I’ve not been here in ages. Plus, it’s a lot easier for me to fly into the airport here than DC.”

And easier for me to go unnoticed. “What’s the news?”

“Heisdead.” Her voice was quiet, as though I hadn’t known that part.

“I know.” I watched the water, continuing to nod to my non-existent sister on the non-existent phone call.

The woman was in private investigations in London, a former MI6 agent, who’d served with the best friend I’d ever had. “And it wasn’t the Iranian government.”

I clenched my teeth. “I suspected as much.” More like Craig had suspected and encouraged me to find out the truth.

When Alex vanished and then I got the news he’d been killed, it cemented my decision to leave the Agency. The story I’d been told was that Iranian forces had caught him sneaking across the border from Afghanistan. He hadn’t told me what his mission was before he left, but hehadtold me he was flying into Tehran. Either he’d lied to me or the stories about his death weren’t true.

Just like everything else in my life. All lies.

She finished re-tying her laces and switched to the other shoe. “All the data you requested on the drive.”

“Including who and how?”

“Of course. You paid for everything.” She twisted her torso, playing into the role of a tired runner, although her long, toned legs indicated she ran regularly. “I don’t have to tell you how sensitive the information is.”

“Did you know? What happened?”

“I didn’t.”

I bowed my head forward, staring at the grass which fought against the dirt around the base of the bench. How many people sat in this space each day, gazing out at the water, not a care in the world? “Does it bother you?”

“My psychiatrist would say yes.” She took a seat next to me and pulled out one of her water bottles, maintaining the ruse. “There’s a comfort in knowing your government’s behind you, in case something happens. But…”

But sometimes that government then claimed the Iranians killed your best friend, rather than truly being there for him. Although I hadn’t seen the information, so there might have been nothing anyone could have done. Maybe Alex got into a situation he couldn’t get out of. Maybe he trusted the wrong source.

She chuckled. “But if someone like Craig Bishop tried wooing me away, I’d have left a lot sooner and likely been happier for it.”

We’d traveled in the same circles and worked with many of the same people—some even by the same names. She and I had never met before, but she knew who I was and who I worked for. Most people thought I’d left the Agency for Craig, but he’d only approached me after I’d decided to leave. It was a mistaken impression I didn’t care to correct.

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