Kate Donovan - Exit Strategy

Lunging for the door, she yanked it open, prepared to throw herself into her lover’s arms and beg his forgiveness for keeping secrets, while thanking him for showing up ahead of schedule.

But it wasn’t her lover who stood on the other side of the threshold. It was Ray Ortega. Except not exactly the Ray she had been best friends with for more than a year before his exile.

This Ray was leaner, meaner, bronzer and all-around more intimidating, from his perfect body to his thick, collar length hair. He looked nothing like a bureaucrat, and everything like a warrior, and she stared for a moment before recovering.

Then she threw herself against his iron-walled chest, wrapped her arms around his neck, and cried, “Ray! I knew you’d come back.”

“Don’t get carried away. I’m not really back. Just looking for Miranda Cutler.”

“Does this mean you’ve changed your mind about helping us ID the Brigadier?” She interrupted herself to pull him into the living room. “Sit down. Visit with me. You look so great.”

“So do you,” he murmured, adding quickly, “How’s McGregor?”

“Perfect.”

“Good. So…” He cleared his throat, then asked carefully, “Any idea where I can find Miranda?”

Ortega took a seat beside Kristie. “The CIA told me Miranda was at her family’s ranch, but no one there has seen her.”

“You went to her ranch? That’s so romantic.”

He scowled. “I went there to find out why she took off from the cabin without saying goodbye. I was concerned I might have said something that disturbed her.”

“Not exactly.” Kristie winced. “It freaked her out that you had a copy of the alibi video handy. She figured you used it for-well, you know. Kicks.”

“The tape?” He winced. “I’ll explain that to her when I see her. So? Do you know where she is?”

“You mean, Miranda?”

“That’s who we’re talking about, isn’t it?” he said with a growl, then his expression softened. “She won’t be too happy to see me, I suppose. But at least this time, I can make sure it ends on a better note.”

“Miranda deserves that,” Kristie admitted.

“Sounds like you two have become friends. I don’t know why that surprises me.”

“Because we’re so different. But yes, we’ve become friends. Which makes this a little awkward.”

He nodded. “I didn’t come here to put you on the spot. I was just concerned when I couldn’t find her. And I figured you might be in touch with her. So? Do you know where she is?”

“If I did, I wouldn’t feel comfortable telling you,” she reminded him.

“She told the CIA she’d be at the ranch. I assume she’s just marking time until the Brigade op gets underway.”

Kristie nodded.

“What’s she going to do if they try to get in touch with her and can’t find her?”

Kristie shrugged.

“I get why she wanted to avoid me. But giving inaccurate information about her whereabouts to her supervisor is a bad move. I’m surprised you and McGregor went along with that.”

“McGregor doesn’t know anything about it,” Kristie corrected him. “It’s my fault. Completely.”

“What do you mean, your ‘fault’?” Ortega pursed his lips. “You’ve been holding out on McGregor? And Miranda’s been lying to the CIA, even though she’s desperate to get her career back on track? Why is this beginning to sound a little nuts?” He closed his eyes, repeating stubbornly, “She’s desperate to get her career back on track. Which means, this has nothing to do with avoiding me. She’s secretly working on the Brigade case, right?”

“I really couldn’t say.”

“In other words, you’re helping her plan some kind of harebrained scenario? Behind McGregor’s back? You’re doing the same goddammed thing to him you used to do to me?” He shook his head in disbelief. “Where’s she staying? I checked with her apartment manager and he said they hadn’t seen much of her lately. Are you saying she’s been staying here with you? While you two plot behind everyone’s back?”

Kristie stared down at her hands folded in her lap. “Like I said, I really can’t say.”

The room grew so silent, she was actually afraid to look up at him. She didn’t need to anyway, because she had seen that expression countless times before. That vein along the side of his temple, throbbing. The metallic specks in his eyes, glinting. The frustration welling visibly inside him, ready to spill over onto the source of his heartburn. “I’ll give her the message, Ray. Can’t we talk about something else?”

“Is she in Switzerland?” Before Kristie could even try to respond, he yelled, “Goddammit, she is in Switzerland! And she went alone? Is she nuts? Are you both nuts?”

He jumped up and strode to the front door, growling over his shoulder. “I hope McGregor cans your ass. And if Miranda’s still alive when I get there, she’s going to wish she wasn’t! Goddammit!”

He stormed through the door and slammed it from the other side, leaving Kristie to stare after him, her heart sinking. She had never seen him this angry, and she had seen him angry a lot. Surely he’d calm down before he reached the fortress, but what if he didn’t? He’d decimate Miranda’s scenario. Ruin their chances of ever cracking the Brigade. And definitely get them both fired.

Hurrying to the phone, she dialed Miranda’s cell number. Predictably, there was no answer, but it rolled over to message mode, and she waited impatiently for the beep, so that she could warn her friend that Ray Ortega was on his way, ready to storm the fortress, throw her over his shoulder, and carry her out of there…

The beep sounded, but Kristie didn’t say a word. She was too preoccupied with the image of a hunky bronze warrior sweeping an auburn-haired female off her feet and carrying her off into the sunset.

It was so perfect.

And if Kristie warned Miranda, it would never happen. Miranda might even be stubborn enough to find his interference offensive if she learned about it ahead of time.

But if she didn’t-if it just happened without warning-even an independent, self-sufficient woman like Miranda would have to admit it was romantic, wouldn’t she?

Except Miranda hated Ray. And McGregor thought he was a head case. In fact, everyone but Kristie thought the intelligence world was well rid of him. If Kristie was right, then there was no problem. But if she was wrong, if Ray was the man everyone else thought he was-dangerous, selfish, unbalanced, and a liar-then Kristie had to warn Miranda, and she had to do it right away.

Disconnecting the call, she continued to hold the phone in her hand, not quite sure whether or not to put it down. Her loyalties were torn in too many different directions. Ray, her best friend. Miranda, her newest friend. McGregor, her everything. Somehow, if she wasn’t careful, she was going to betray all of them at once.

She was so distracted, she didn’t notice the sound of a key in the lock of her front door, or the knob being turned. But when the door opened, and McGregor stepped into view, his blue eyes twinkling with anticipation of their reunion, her whole body snapped to attention.

Walking quickly to him, she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Thank God you’re here.”

“Yeah, I missed you, too.” He tilted her face up so that he could look directly into it. “Are you okay?”

She took a deep breath, then blurted out the truth without attempting to hide anything. “Miranda went after Kell alone. Well, not completely alone, because she had me spinning for her. But now Ray found out, and he’s furious. He’s on his way there. And if he’s not careful, he’ll blow her cover. Except he’s always careful, so of course he won’t. But it’s going to be a mess. A romantic one, I think. But still, a mess. And somehow, it’s all my fault.”