Ifshe was the enemy, that’s exactly whatIwould do.Iwould chase her across the world if needed.Iwould get that case out of her hands and into the hands of theCSA.
“Zoeis not the enemy.TheCIAis not the enemy,”Ihear playing on a loop in my head, in theCSAdirector’s voice, of course, since she’s the one who’s said it to me countless times.
Rightnow, though, it feels likeZoevery much is.Itmakes me want to outdo her at every one of her missions.Toclaim every single win.Toput every single tally mark in my column, not hers.Istand at the base of the building for a couple of seconds, breathing heavily.Zoewon.
Ijust don’t know why she is playing the game.
Orhow she even knew that this particular game was being played.Tomy knowledge, we haven’t shared any intel about this mission with theCIA.Theyshouldn’t even know it exists, let alone think they can put a player in the game.
Thereare cameras on the street.IknowKellasaw exactly what happened in real time.SoIskip an update and let my voice come out in the growlI’mfeeling whenIsay, “Tellthe director to call me.”
“Willdo,”Kellaresponds, andIappreciate that she doesn’t say another word.
Theagency helicopter is on a helipad at a local hospital that’s only about a block from whereIoriginally met my contact, which makes it only about a half mile away.Or.62 miles, if you askKella.ButIdon’t run back to it.Infact,Istomp back, not even caring how many carsImake honk at me.
I’mmad.I’mmad that after so long of working on this mission, building up my relationship withKolson, shaking so many trees to see what fell out, and finally getting a big break, it gets stolen from under me.I’mfurious that theCIAthinks they can just swoop in on our op.
AndI’mmad thatZoeSteelebested me.She’sprobably sitting back in an agency copter right now, buffing her nails, reveling in her success.
I’mwalking across the roof to my helicopter when a call from the director comes in on my secure line.Thedirector is also my mom, butInever think of her like that whenI’mworking.Idon’t even say hello before asking, “Whyis theCIAhere?WhydidZoeshow up?Thisisourop.”
“Itis,” she says in a voice that is so much calmer than mine. “I’vealready spoken to the director of field operations in theGlobalIntelligenceDivisionat theCIA.Theyare running a different op that just happens to overlap with ours.Sohe’s going to share with us the information in the briefcase that pertains to our op the moment thatZoegets back with it.”
Ouroperation overlapping with another agency’s isn’t common overall, but it does occasionally happen.Sometimeswith theCIAand sometimes with theFBI.Although“occasionally” is how often other operatives experience it, “frequent” is the wordI’duse when it comes to my missions overlapping withZoe’s.KnowingthatZoeis working on an op that is different from mine— that she wasn’t just trying to steal mine— helps a bit.Ican’t sayI’mall zen right now, becauseI’mnever okay with losing, but my anger is fading a fraction.
“Thisshould still be counted as a win,”Isay. “Wewouldn’t be getting the information in that case ifIhadn’t secured the meet time and location from my asset and gone thereto get it.”
“We’llcount it as a win,” the director says.
“Good,”Isay before ending the call.
Notthat it isreallya win.Maybeone-third of a win.Ifeven that.Inthis contest between me andZoe,IknowIlost.Idon’t like the feeling and it makes me determined to never take second place again.ButIdo like the director calling it a win.Ilike my job.Itgives me everythingIneed— adventure, new places, new people— and it never hurts to show the agency thatI’mindispensable.
Evenif a certain building-scaling blonde is always trying to prove otherwise.
Andthis isn’t the end.We’llget the information in that case— information thatI’msure is actionable.ThenI’llsecure whatever it is that theCSAneeds, andI’lldo it long beforeZoegets what she needs for whatever op theCIAis doing.
CHAPTER 2
A LESS-THAN-TYPICAL PEDESTRIAN
ZOE
Icannot believeIgot to the case beforeLedger.Ididn’t expect that extra shot of excitement and satisfaction on this mission.MostlybecauseIdidn’t expect to seeLedgerhere at all.Theman is rather nice to behold in any circumstance, but seeing him run is a glorious thing, andIwill never be sad to witness that.
I’llalso never be sad to witness the look on his face at the exact moment he realized thatIwas going to best him on this mission.Orthe look of frustration on his face whenIwinked at him from the rooftop.Ibeat him inCairowhen we crossed paths there, but then he took home the prize when our missions took us to the same back alley warehouse inLondonnot long after, soI’mgladIwon this one.Ican’t letLedgerget two in a row.
NotthatIcan’t handle him winning now and then.It’swhat keeps me sharp.Acompetition is only worthy of actually competing in when the opponent is on your level.
Iam a little disappointed thatLedgerisn’t chasing after me, though.Ikind of figured he would.Maybenot from the rooftops, but definitely from the ground.Imake it a block and a half away from the acquisition site, across half a dozen connected— or close enough to jump— roofs, descend back down to the street, duck into an alcove, pull the super-thin and lightweight magenta jacket and teal bag from the pouch at my waist, put the jacket on, slip the case into the bag, let down my hair, and walk half a block beforeIrealize he isn’t tailing me.
NotthatIwould’ve let him catch up to me.I’veworked hard to get all the information that led me to this case, and we need its contents.Someartwork was stolen, and we believe it’s being sold to fund terrorist activity.Thiscase likely contains the catalog of stolen art, along with their current location and potential buyers.Idon’t want this information in anyone else’s hands.NotevenLedger’s.
EspeciallynotLedger’s.
So,Inavigate this enemy territory with speed and agility.Normally,Iwouldn’t consider a city filled with normal people “enemy” territory, but between overly-enthusiastic tourists asking me to take pictures of them in front of the—admittedly, rather impressive—MasonicLibrary/Museumand the dive-bombing pigeons, it feels like it fits.ButIdo lovePhiladelphia.It’sa city of revolutions and rebirths, which has pretty much been the theme of my life.
Myevasive maneuvers aren’t just forLedger, of course.Idon’t want the guysIstole the case from or the one accepting the handoff to catch me, either, andIknowthey’re out searching for me—I’venearly run into them twice.
