Page 7 of Misdirection

Within five minutes, Duncan Rudiak, the president of Conglomerate, appeared in the SCI corridor.

The fifty-five-year-old always appeared put-together. His shirts were crisp, his thinning hair in place, and his face perfectly shaven. The man was reserved and quiet—and, in return, intimidating to many who worked with him.

He was Olive’s contact at the company.

What he didn’t know was that he was also a suspect.

“Olive . . .” He offered a curt nod. “Where is he?”

“First door on the right. Watch the blood trail.”

He stepped that way and peered inside. Then he muttered a profanity under his breath before stepping back and raking a hand through his hair.

She didn’t know the man well, but she’d never seen him look so out of sorts.

He stepped back toward her. “I can’t believe this.”

“The police should be here any time.”

His expression remained hard. “I’ve already informed security downstairs to watch for them.”

“Is this connected to what’s going on here at the company?” she asked softly.

The storminess in his gaze grew more tempestuous. “Maybe. I don’t know. I’ll need you to find out.”

Olive had started this job only eight days ago. She’d officially been hired as an External Information Security Analyst. Her job was to objectively examine the company in order to pinpoint any shortcomings and security breaches. Most people in this position would stay a year.

She’d be here until she wrapped up this assignment.

Duncan was the only one at Conglomerate who knew she was really investigating a potential mole within the corporation who was trying to broker a deal with Russia. Some of the company’s technology was cutting edge, and in the wrong hands could prove destructive on a global scale.

Someone within the CIA had caught wind of the impending transaction and had gone to Duncan with the information. He’d hired Aegis Strategic Enterprises to find the mole. Because of the agency’s undercover investigative skills and exemplary track record, they often received high-level government assignments.Plus, they could do things a government official couldn’t—all under the radar and without any red tape.

Olive’s job as an Aegis employee was to figure out who was behind the deal so she could stop the transaction before it happened. Her position at Conglomerate had been especially created for her and allowed her security clearance in this section of the building. She’d come into this corridor under the guise of researching a contract.

Top secret prototypes were kept here as well as physical copies of patents, design plans, contracts, and vendors—everything a thief would need to recreate the product.

A records clerk usually managed everyone who came and went. But when Olive had come down, she’d discovered he had the day off. No one was working in his place.

Instead of finding the contract, she’d found Beau.

Just then, law enforcement flooded the scene.

Detective Angelos, a man in his late forties with thick black hair and a heavy brow, took Olive’s statement, while another officer got information on Beau from Duncan. They would definitely need to let their government contacts know about this.

As she recounted her story, she tried to hold back her trembling.

She never wanted to get used to dead bodies. Never.

However, she needed to ask questions—casually, of course. Nothing to draw suspicions.

Was this related to the mole within the company?

Olive didn’t know. But it was a good guess.

Just as she finished her talk with the detective, someone tapped her shoulder.

“Olive, I’d like for you to meet the head of security here at Conglomerate,” Duncan said from behind her. “He just returned from an overseas trip, but he’ll have some questions for you also.”

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