Kate Donovan - Exit Strategy

The spinner answered the door on the first knock, as though she had been lurking on the other side for hours.

“Miranda! Thank God.” Grabbing her guest by the arm, she pulled her into the living room. “I was beginning to think you got lost.”

“Thanks for inviting me over at this late hour-”

“Are you serious? I’ve been dying of curiosity ever since you called. Tell me everything. No, wait! Do you want something to eat first?”

“I’m fine.”

“Perfect. Come and sit. Tell me everything.”

Miranda took a seat on the couch, while the spinner sat on the coffee table directly in front of her, her blue eyes alive with anticipation.

“It’s not good news, you know,” she warned Kristie.

“Was he horrid? Will-I mean, Director McGregor-thinks he’s a head case. He didn’t do anything crazy, did he?”

“No, of course not.” Miranda bit her lip to keep from laughing. “I thought he was your best friend.”

“He is. I adore him. But that doesn’t mean you have to.” Kristie eyed her hopefully. “Do you?”

“Are you nuts? He is a head case. But the visit wasn’t a total waste.” She leaned forward, eager to share the plan she had developed on the plane. “Did you know I’m claustrophobic? I mean, is that in my psych profile?”

The spinner grimaced. “You lost me.”

“You’ve seen my psych profile, right? I’m a little claustrophobic. Which means I have something in common with Jonathan Kell. A link to him.”

“Miranda?” Kristie cocked her head to the side, her expression sincerely confused. “What happened with Ray?”

“He’s fine. I promise. Don’t worry about him anymore.”

“I want details.”

“Okay.” Miranda shrugged. “During the day he communes with nature. At night, he watches X-rated footage of yours truly. He’s happy as a perverted clam.”

Kristie’s blue eyes had widened. “X-rated footage?”

“The alibi video,” Miranda explained with a laugh. “He labeled it ‘surveillance tape,’ but a better title would have been ‘Nude Dupes on the Loose.’” She gave Kristie a sympathetic smile. “He’s a head case, just like your boss said. But the good news is, he and I talked a lot about Kell. And I had time to study the file on the plane. I’m convinced you and I can crack this case-come up with the Brigadier’s identity-between the two of us.”

“Pardon?”

Miranda laughed again. “I’ve got my confidence back. Courtesy of Ray Ortega. Finding out that he’s got demons-lots of them-made it easier for me to let myself off the hook. All we have to do now is make the CIA see that I’m not a screwup. For that, I need your help.”

When Kristie just stared at her, she added gently, “He’s not coming back. Maybe not ever. But definitely not soon. He honestly doesn’t trust himself to make wise choices. I actually respect that part of him, by the way. I’m not so sure about the porno videotape stuff, but even there, I’m willing to cut him some slack.”

Kristie cocked her head to the side. “You don’t hate him anymore?”

“I don’t feel anything, actually. He’s a part of my past. Finally. Now all I have to do is impress my superiors, and life is good.” She smiled to ease the blow of the next statement. “I need your help with that. You’re a spinner, I’m an operative. Get me in to see Kell, okay? I’ll take it from there.”

Kristie opened her mouth as if to speak, then closed it and took a look around the room, presumably for allies. Then she murmured, “What do you mean? Get you in to see Kell? Alone? That’s not possible. We promised to try to get you on the team-”

“On the team, I’ll be relegated to a supporting role. That won’t get me out of escort duty. I need something spectacular. Something SPIN-worthy.” Before Kristie could protest, she explained, “I’m claustrophobic-that’s right up Kell’s dysfunctional alley. I’m a former lover of Ray Ortega, Kell’s idol. And I’ve got a freakish amount of sex appeal for a person who’s never had a decent relationship. That works for all guys. How much raw material do you need?”

Arching an eyebrow, she added firmly, “Spin me something daring. Something wild. I promise I can handle it.”

Two hours later, Kristie was pacing the floor, while Miranda half dozed on the couch, muttering again and again, “You’re overthinking it. Just get me into Switzerland. I’ll do the rest.”

The spinner’s bloodshot eyes flashed. “I don’t care what Ray told you, I don’t have enough information!”

“Then forget Kell. Target one of the other Brigade members. That’s what Ortega was suggesting, you know. He said Kell is way too suspicious to fall for something like this.”

Kristie shook her head. “It has to be Kell. I feel that in my bones. And I love the claustrophobia angle, but I need more. I need Ray.”

A phone rang at that moment, and Miranda drawled, “Maybe that’s him.”

The spinner frowned. “Who would call this late? It’s not my operative phone, and Will’s too polite to call after midnight unless it’s an emergency.”

Miranda glanced at the identification screen. “It’s a 213 area code.”

“Oops!” Kristie sprang for the phone and punched the speaker button. “Will? Hi.”

“Hey, beautiful. Did I wake you?”

“Even if you did, I’d never complain,” she assured him. “Is everything okay?”

“That depends on what you’re wearing,” the director’s sexy voice told her.

As Miranda bit back a smile, Kristie insisted, “This isn’t a good time, Will. I’ve got something boiling on the stove.”

“At midnight? Just as well, since this is partly a business call. Have you heard from Miranda Cutler?”

Kristie winced. “Why do you ask?”

There was a long silence, then McGregor-Director McGregor-said, “Because I’m in charge. And because I’m concerned about her. And because Ortega called me a few minutes ago, asking if she’s okay.”

“Well…” Kristie gave Miranda an apologetic shrug. “In that case, good news. She’s right here. Miranda, say hello.”

“Hi, Director McGregor.”

The silence was much longer this time. Then he muttered, “What’s going on?”

“Everything’s fine,” Kristie insisted. “Miranda’s plane got in late, so I told her to come here. That’s okay, right?”

“Of course. How did it go, Miranda?”

“Ortega and I had a very cordial exchange.”

“He said you disappeared without saying goodbye. He thought it was going well, then suddenly, you were gone. So he asked me to follow up.”

“I left him a note,” she replied coolly. “It was clear he wasn’t going to help us. He did his best to brief me about Kell. That’s why I came to see Kristie. But I didn’t see any reason to hang around. I can’t believe he called you,” she added ruefully.

“He feels like crap about the way he and Jane Smith used you. He was worried he blew it again. I promised to check on you, and now I have.”

“Right.” Miranda smiled in relief while motioning to Kristie to pick up the receiver. “I’ll give you two some privacy now-”

“Wait, Miranda.” McGregor’s tone had become businesslike. “I’m supposed to keep your superiors informed. I’m going to honor our agreement and ask that you be assigned to the anti-Brigade team, but that won’t happen for a few days at least. Should I tell them you’ll report for duty tomorrow morning, pending new developments with the team?”

“Miranda’s exhausted, Will,” Kristie interrupted. “Can’t you tell her supervisor I need her for a few more days? To debrief her properly once she’s rested?”

“She visited Ortega for less than four hours and you need days to debrief her?” McGregor protested, but his tone was teasing. “What’s going on, Goldie?”