Page 57 of Operation: Silent Angel
“Cherry picked intel,” Mac said. “Nothing substantial against the heavy hitters, unless they crossed Ruiz. Ruiz was playing everyone and making a lot of money while causing a lot of miseryin the process. He was a total rubbish human being. And at least we got intel out of him. Had we not, Dyer would have killed him anyway, and we would have gotten nothing.”
Allard held his hands up in a surrendering gesture. “All true, no doubt.”
“What is my status with Interpol?” Mac asked, opting for the direct approach.
“I think you need to proceed cautiously and not make any waves. I have not been instructed to collect your credentials or remove you from our payroll, and I think it will remain that way if your name does not come across anyone’s desk for a few months. Time is your biggest ally.”
Mac’s stomach did a flip, and his last drink of the coffee landed hard, making him nauseous. “Are you saying I need to completely stand down?”
Allard’s face scrunched up. “Can you go after a less notable Red Lister next if you insist on continuing?”
Mac laughed. “Would you like to pick one? If they’re on the Red List, they’re bad dudes and notable.”
“I know you freelance and work other gigs on the side. Maybe you should go that route for the next few months, unless a case overlaps. And then I’d say, reach out to me for guidance before you take anyone down. I’ll know whose desk your name will flowacross, and I’ll know the temperature of that person towards you at any given moment.”
“Forget it, Matheo. I can’t operate under these conditions. I’ll bring down who I can, when I can, and Interpol’s internal politics can just suck it. This is about getting the bad guys behind bars, not tiptoeing around fragile egos.”
Allard rubbed his forehead where a headache had developed. “It’s about giving time for the embarrassment this has caused to ease. Keep your creds and use them wisely. Work other cases and think about what I’ve said. I think in time this will be celebrated as a huge win, and you’ll be championed by those at Interpol who matter.” He took a drink of his coffee. “Stay in touch.” Allard rose from his seat and took hold of his coffee. “I am not your enemy, Mac.”
Mac also rose and again offered his hand, which Allard shook. “Thank you, Matheo. I’ll be in touch.”
Papa
As autumn’s chill settled over the Chicago area, Yvette settled back into her comfortable routine. Since Mac had left, every few days, she attempted to reach him only to find his phone number was still disconnected. Emails sent to the personal email account were returned undeliverable. It appeared he planned to remain silent until the beginning of December.
She still missed him, but after much thought, she decided that when she again saw him, hopefully at the resort over Christmas, she would tell him how she felt and what she wanted. Perhaps there was a chance for some sort of regular relationship with him. She’d have to decide what she’d be willing to live with. She also braced herself to bear the possibility that it would be over. Some relationships were just not meant to be. Perhaps theirs had run its course, or perhaps it was that she’d grown, and it no longer suited her. Every time those thoughts ran through her mind, she knew she didn’t want to accept that it could be over.
Shepherd confirmed that he’d not been discharged from Interpol, that his status was somewhat inactive. But he had not heard where he was or who he was working for. He promised that if he heard anything, he would let her know. And he personally had not heard from Mac since he’d left.
It was the second week of October, and she was at her regular meeting with Dr. Joe Lassiter, the team shrink. All team members were required to have regular meetings with Joe as Shepherd realized the job they did was tough and their mental health was just as important as their physical health.
She sat at the table in his kitchenette within his office space on the second floor of the Shepherd Security Building. They were just finishing up a meeting that she would admit had gone roughly for her. She felt guarded and knew she was more tight-lipped than usual. She was sure Joe knew, and he was probably wondering why. She wouldn’t be surprised if he pushed her on it.
“Anything else on your mind?” Joe asked, as he always did.
“Yeah, Joe, there actually is,” Yvette said. She glanced out the window at the parking lot of the busy Woodfield Mall, which the building overlooked across the ring road. She had not planned to bring up Mac or her feelings regarding him, but what they’d discussed so far in the meeting had made her realize that she was fed up with herself for letting too much of her thoughts be taken up by Mac. She obviously wasn’t resolving her feelings by herself. Maybe talking with Joe would help. “We’ve talked about Mac in the past, well, especially after the Cancun Mission a few months ago. But what I didn’t tell you is that we’re planning to meet over Christmas.”
“Why tell me now?” he asked.
“I’m struggling with my feelings for him.” She paused and chuckled. “I’m actually disgusted with myself for letting him take up so much real estate in my thoughts. I should have told him how I felt and what I wanted our relationship to be before he left this last time, but I didn’t. And I can’t do it now until December.”
“And what relationship is it you want with him?”
Yvette breathed out a heavy sigh. “I want some sort of normal relationship.”
“What’s the best-case scenario, if you could name it?” Joe asked.
“He’d want to be here with me, maybe approach Shepherd to see if Shepherd has a place for him at the agency. I got used to being with him, going to sleep with him and waking up with him. I miss him, Joe,” she confessed.
“And if he can’t do that, what are you willing to accept?” Joe asked.
Yvette nodded. “Yeah, that’s the question now, isn’t it?” She was thoughtful for a moment. “We made an agreement a very long time ago of what we could and could not be. I’ve changed since I’ve been with Shepherd Security. I’m not the same woman doing the same job who made that agreement, who couldn’t make a commitment back then. Or maybe I should say I put the job ahead of my own personal happiness back then. The factwas, doing that job didn’t leave room for a relationship. But I don’t do that job any longer.”
“And Mac?”
“Therein lies the problem. He’s still doing that job,” Yvette said.
“But you don’t know if he still wants to or if he’s ready for a change as well,” Joe suggested.
