Page 52 of Freedom Fighters
“If the program does what you say it does,” Calli began, “you could sell it for a small fortune. Why give it to us?”
“As I said,” Chloe replied, “It’s good will, so you can figure out I’m not here to undermine your war. Besides, if you install it, you can talk to Cristián. Then I’ll know he’s okay.”
“If we knew who this Cristián was, what makes youthink we wouldn’t pick up a phone and call him instead?” Duardo asked.
Chloe grinned. “Calls can be traced.” She pointed to the jump drive. “Nothing can track that.”
“You would give up the potential earnings you’d make from your program, to make sure that Cristián is okay?”
Chloe’s amusement faded. “I would,” she said firmly. She smiled again. “Besides, I can write another app anytime. I’mnot hurting for cash, you know.”
Duardo held up his hand. “Excuse me for a moment.” He stepped to the door and opened it, then spoke to the guard outside. He pushed the door open. “Ms. Masters, would you mind stepping out and keeping Private Juarez company? I would like to speak to the Chief of Staff for a moment.”
“Sure.” Chloe got to her feet and Minnie saw she was tall, like Calli, and lithe,with a dancer’s body. If Cristián hadn’t shared any personal details with her, he would be overjoyed when he met her in person.
Chloe stepped out into the corridor and turned to face the guard. She spoke a slow, passable Spanish.
Duardo shut the door and came back to the desk. “If this application does what she says it does, do you realize what it means?” he asked Calli.
“A completely secureway of communicating with anyone else who has the program,” Calli said. “Perhaps we should keep Ms. Masters around for a while. She might be useful, given the upcoming operations.”
“Exactly,” Duardo said.
“Employ her,” Minnie told them. “Give her a job deploying the application and maintaining it. She’ll want to hang around, anyway, to ensure Cristián is all right. If we hire her, she is accountableto us and we can control her movements. I don’t like the idea of her going back to the States and telling anyone what she gave us.”
“A high security position?” Calli raised her brow. “I’ll want to do some background checks first. We have no idea who she is.”
“Ask Cristián,” Minnie said. “He might not know her first name, but if they’ve been talking via email or something, I guarantee he’s gota good read on her personality. They’ve obviously got a strong enough relationship that she rushed down to Acapulco because he stopped emailing.”
Duardo picked up her hand and kissed it. “You are as clever as you are beautiful.”
Calli smiled and leaned back in her chair. “Colonel Peña, do you agree we proceed with this? Employ Chloe and use the application?” She had switched back to Spanish,making it formal and official.
“I agree,” Duardo said. “I would like to install this application, this cloak, as soon as possible. It would be of enormous benefit to us.” He straightened to attention. “With your permission, I will share this news with General Flores. He will find it interesting.”
“Thank you, yes, Colonel Peña. Please go ahead. Send Chloe back in on your way out.”
Duardo noddedand turned to leave and Minnie realized with a jolt that just like that, Duardo’s twelve hour leave was over.
Only now, there was a chance she could still talk to him, no matter where he was.
