Page 76 of Only the Wicked
“I don’t remember that…”
I close my eyes and visualize the byline. “April 2021.”
“Look at that,” Quinn says under her breath. “So, what are your plans?”
“I’m going to change and head down to the bar. Scope the area. I think that’s where he’s meeting this Evie Thompson. If he sees me, maybe he’ll feel obligated to invite me to join them.”
“Jake will be close.”
“Not too close. Remember, you just told me he has two security guards. There could be others. And did you guys access this room before us?”
“No. Prior occupants had a late checkout, then housekeeping, then his security followed. Stayed until shortly before your arrival.”
“Warn Jake. Rhodes may be aloof, but he hired the best and they won’t be. They’ll pick up on a tail. You know, it’s interesting that he didn’t greet his security with me present. Maybe he doesn’t want me to know he travels with security.”
“Possibly. You have a device you can plant, right?” Quinn asks.
“Yes, but why would I? I’m here with him. He’s not planning on taking any meetings in our room. It’s an unnecessary risk. And if his team is professional, whenever we leave, they’ll sweep.”
“True enough.”
“He invited me to a gala tomorrow night. I’m assuming it’s associated with the Bastille Day celebration.”
“Look at you. Did you pack for this? I accessed the security cam in the lobby. Swanky.”
“Funny story. I’ve got an entire wardrobe from Neiman Marcus in the entry.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep.”
“Score.”
The icky feeling swirling in my gut climbs my throat. I’m not in this for the clothes. I’m not aiming to use Rhodes. My objective is to learn about the deals ARGUS is making. Not what the official, public information states, but to verify the rumors circulating through the intelligence community.
Yet there’s something else tangled in this discomfort—the realization that the man who quoted mythology and shared childhood stories feels real in ways that threaten my objectivity. That hasn’t happened on an assignment before. Usually, my cover feels like a separate skin I can shed when needed. This time, the line between Sydney-the-operative and Sydney-the-woman is blurring in ways that make my training feel suddenly insufficient.
“Interesting.” Quinn says. “Rhodes car service stopped in front of the Russian embassy.”
The ickiness diminishes. A cold wave washes over me, numbing the conflicted notions. This single piece of information transforms everything—my objective, my conflicted feelings, even the luxurious suite. Rhodes visiting the Russian embassy isn’t just confirmation that KOAN’s suspicions were valid; it’s validation that the version of Rhodes I’ve been connecting with is one facet of a multi-faceted identity. He’s presenting the face he wants me to see, similar to me presenting him with my cover identity.
“Alright.” Quinn’s tone shifts to professional, triggering a similar shift in my mentality.
I’ve been having fun with one version of Rhodes. A version of him that by his own admittance hasn’t seen the light of day in decades. I bonded with that version of him. But the man who built a billion-dollar empire has an entirely different persona, and Caroline was correct when she pitched me on KOAN. As an active mega donor, the government won’t investigate rumors about Rhodes or his company. Politicians won’t bite the hand that feeds them. We need to find out exactly what kind of deals ARGUS is structuring, and if Russia is one of its clients, our mission is critical.
“From here on out, only contact me through the portal. Keep one tracker on your person at all times. I checked the charge on your tags and you’re good. You said he gave you permission to research him?”
“Yeah.”
“Be wary.”
“Why?”
“Classic projection. He might be doing a deep dive on you. Even if he didn’t request it, by showing up in D.C. with him, his security team will be doing one.”
“Right.” Maybe I should’ve used an alias. But no. I can’t second guess myself. If the rumored capabilities of ARGUS are correct, there’s too high of a chance they’d smoke out an alias. “I’ll take my laptop down to the bar. Get him used to seeing me working. I’ll claim I’m job hunting.”
“Good plan. And, Sydney?”
