Page 7 of A Moment Never Forgotten
Berit decided to grab a salad at the exclusive dining room for director level and above. As she waited in front of the elevator next to several others, Noah Hennel silently slid in beside her.
“How are things going over in support?” Her former boss asked. She had worked for the director of operations nearly her entire career. They’d spent endless hours together in his office and conference rooms, especially in her last two positions. They knew each other quite well, professionally. Personally, Berit didn’t think anyone knew the real Noah Hennel.
At her former boss's question, she wanted to roll her eyes. Instead, she pasted on a smile. “Just fine.”
Director Hennel held her gaze, not needing to glance around. Both of them knew every person who was in earshot. “I appreciate you agreeing to have a working lunch in my office. My schedule is really tight today, but I know you need my approval on the asset allocation budget.”
The doors to the elevator opened and the chatting group stepped in first.
Clever man. She couldn’t fool him.
As the doors closed, she said in a conversational tone, “We both needed to eat. Thank you for accommodating my request.”
Ten minutes later, they were seated across from each other at the roundtable off to the side of his casual seating area. His large mahogany desk filled the other half of the room. Damn, directorates had huge offices with large windows giving the room an abundance of natural light.
He positioned himself to face the large flat screen divided into multiple blocks surrounding a world map dotted with an array of colored circles. Some boxes showed live video. One showed a countdown for a videoconference with USSOCOM. In the upper right corner, a list of incoming reports scrolled constantly.
As Director Hennel cut into his chicken, he ordered, “Tell me the truth. How are things going for you?”
Berit stabbed her fork through the lettuce then confessed, “I really wish I was working for you instead of Director Lambert.”
The man in his late fifties lifted his head slowly and held her gaze. “I understand, but my deputy director isn’t going anywhere for years, and then it will be to his retirement home out on the Eastern Shore.”
He stared at her for several long seconds, but his intensity made it feel like minutes. “You do know you’ve been watched for years. Your integrity and dedication have not gone unnoticed. This job with the Support Directorate is a major steppingstone for your career. There are several in this organization, and others, who have big plans for you. You need to be well-rounded, understand our entire business. Gut it out. Learn everything you can. As long as you don’t fuck up, you’ll be promoted soon enough.”
With a forkful of grilled chicken Caesar salad halfway to her open mouth, her whole body froze.Watched for years. Steppingstone. Big plans. Don’t fuck up.
Hennel grinned. “You had no idea, did you?”
“I need you to be clear. What exactly are you telling me?” Her brain raced in a hundred different directions.
“Your entire career, you’ve broken glass ceilings. You have a silent, yet powerful, cheerleading squad, including me, that wants to see you go all the way.” Satisfaction gleamed in his eyes as he dredged a piece of chicken through the Marsala sauce and popped it into his mouth. He chewed slowly and swallowed before he spoke again. “Don’t fuck this up. There are several around Washington who want to see you as the chief operating officer, someday.”
All insiders knew that the COO was the most powerful position within the CIA. Both the director and deputy director were appointed by the President of the United States and were seldom around longer than he was in the White House. On the other hand, the chief operating officer was responsible for managing the CIA on a day-to-day basis, no matter who sat in the biggest office in the building.
“You’re not kidding.” Berit choked before she picked up her bottle of water, gulping down a third in an attempt to counter her dry mouth.
“No. That’s exactly why I want you to be honest with me and tell me how things are going over there working for Joseph Lambert.” Hennel cut his green beans exactly the same length then forked up several. “When his deputy decided to retire early, several of us discussed the opening and thought perhaps you could get along with him better than the last man. Besides, you needed to punch that deputy directorate ticket.”
He asked for it, so she’d give him honesty. “I’m not sure he knows what to do with me.”
Hennel merely raised an eyebrow as he chewed.
“He constantly gives me demeaning jobs, as though I were a newbie to the agency, not the highly trained Senior Special Agent who has held the title of director several times.” Berit knew the frustration came through in her voice. “Gabriel Davis’s funeral is a good example.”
“Lambert asked you to handle that?” Hennel set down his fork and picked up his coffee cup. “I thought you personally took care of Gabe’s arrangements because of me, or that you knew him since you were both my department directors.”
She shook her head. “Director Lambertorderedme to personally handle everything about the funeral and to be the CIA liaison with Mrs. Davis for the next year. After her murder, I’m now, of course, working with Teagan Wil…I mean, Teagan Jackson.”
“Would you consider yourself friendly with Teagan Jackson? Or maybe even friends?” Hennel’s question made her think.
“I’d say we were very friendly, edging toward becoming friends.” Then she admitted, “I like her. If she were living here in DC, I could see the two of us becoming good friends.”
Hennel sipped his coffee and stared at nothing. Berit knew that look. She automatically braced. In the next instant, she relaxed. He couldn’t send her on a mission. She didn’t work for him anymore.
Her former boss set down his empty coffee cup then captured her gaze with his. “Would you be interested in going undercover once again?”
“I’m honored that you would think of me, but I can’t leave my job. You just reminded me what a steppingstone this deputy directorship is and how important it is for my career.”Don’t fuck upechoed in her mind.
