Page 19 of Once a Hero
“But first, we need to complete this brooch set.” Beatrice pulled the three-amber brooch from the pocket of her cargo pants and displayed it on her palm. Raynelle had given it to her in the van. “One thing we have to remember, people, is that I don’t sanction breaking the law to get ahead of Molyneux.”
“We can’t get there by the book,” Kenichi protested. “That’s why your brother…uh…”
“My brother what?” Beatrice was surprised Kenichi brought up Benjamin. What was that about?
Beatrice remembered the time her bother had sent Kenichi to work for her. Benjamin had run extensive background checks on the mononymous Kenichi—although Beatrice had discovered that his last name was Kobayashi—and he was in the clear. No criminal records. Long history at the NSA and CIA and Special Ops. He was at least forty now, but his skillset was perfect for the job of assisting Beatrice on this long quest to find the lost Amber Room.
In fact, it had been Kenichi who had recommended Raynelle, a fellow CIA officer, to work for Beatrice as well. That worked out for all of them because the one condition of Kenichi’s employment was that he would never show his face in public.
Unfortunately, the introduction of Raynelle into Beatrice’s team made her brother rather upset. Somehow Benjamin detested government agencies, calling them wasteful. Beatrice knew that his opinion was probably borne out of the fact that the CIA did not help their father. Once they had no use for Thomas Peterson, they discarded him. He had to make a living somehow, and Beatrice suspected that Dad went back to his old ways—which caused him to run into his ex-wife, who then killed him.
To this day, Benjamin refused talk to Raynelle on his own volition. He would only say a few words if Beatrice made him communicate with Raynelle for one reason or another.
Kenichi, on the other hand, had earned Benjamin’s respect. Always working in the dark shadows, Kenichi would supply Beatrice with everything she needed. He had fished her out of water so many times she had lost count.
It had been Kenichi, upon her orders, who had discovered the coordinates of the fishing vessel holding Jake Kessler hostage. She had made the call to Helen using an altered voice, but if Kenichi hadn’t gotten her the longitude and latitude, Jake would have died.
Jake.
He was only a few inches taller than she was as they stood at Fisherman’s Wharf, though she was wearing chunky boots.
He had a pleasant disposition. If she hadn’t known who he was, she would never have guessed that he was an FBI agent. That might be how he had been successful in deep undercover for three years in Molyneux’s gang.
Who ratted him out?
“Ken?” Beatrice sat down next to him on the couch. “When you have a minute…”
“When do I ever have a minute?”
“Maybe like this week?”
“Yes, ma’am. What can I do for you?”
“Can you somehow find out who told Molyneux that Jake was undercover?” Beatrice asked. “By legal means.”
“What for?”
“The more we have on Jake—perhaps the more we can offer him—the more leverage we have.” Beatrice and Jake both had a mutual enemy: Molyneux. The old adage might be true. Maybe the enemy of Beatrice’s enemy might turn out to be a friend.
Besides, he had a calming voice. If Beatrice were to die, that was the last voice she wanted to hear, ushering her into eternity. Then she would see Dad again.
But who would watch over her brother?
So no. I can’t die just yet. There’s so much work to be done.
Her fear was that in encroaching on Molyneux territory, death could come before her time.
Chapter Nine
Philomena Caddock owned a pricey log cabin in the woods somewhere outside the coastal town of Eureka in Northern California.
Unbelievable.
“I thought she was on welfare,” Jake said, adjusting his seat belt. He leaned back on the passenger seat, trying to get some sleep. It was past midnight, and they had left San Francisco more than five hours before.
He wanted to drive, but Earl had insisted.
It rained most of the time on Highway 101, with the windshield wipers on full speed thwacking away the heavy droplets of rain until they stopped at Eureka to get gas and midnight snacks—even though it wasn’t midnight at that time.
