Geri Krotow - Snowbound With The Secret Agent

“Yeah.” Kyle didn’t know Josh that well but knew that he’d recently been involved in a big sting against ROC. “How long did you wait before you saved all those Ukrainian women?” He referred to the human trafficking ROC had conducted in Silver Valley last year. Josh had also been instrumental in helping the wife of a notorious ROC operative get out of a domestic violence situation. He’d told Kyle about it in one of their many liaisons like today’s.

“It felt like forever but it came together quickly, once things started falling in place. You know the drill—hurry up and wait. And then be ready to go full throttle.”

“Hmph.” Kyle tried to review the work he’d done the past weeks, most of it surveillance, but he couldn’t stop the image of Portia’s big brown eyes watching him earlier. If he weren’t committed to remaining single, putting his career first, always, she’d be...no. He couldn’t go there. If he did decide to date someone, as he’d been considering, it couldn’t be Portia. Portia was too dangerous, because he barely knew her and couldn’t shake her.

“You’re still thinking about Portia, aren’t you?” Josh’s grin rankled Kyle but not as much as his uncanny ability to read him. Few could.

“Why do you ask?”

“I think it’s the same expression I had on my face, oh, about six months ago. When I realized Annie was more than a childhood friend.”

“Doubtful. I don’t know anything about Portia DiNapoli except that she’s the town librarian, and also volunteers a lot of time at the Silver Valley homeless shelter. I can only hope she doesn’t recognize me the next time I’m there. She’s making my job more difficult.”

Josh slapped him on the back. “You are so full of crap. You had to have done a quick background check on Portia as part of this case,” Josh called him out without hesitation.

Kyle felt his face redden. “Of course I did. But what I mean is that I don’t know her personally, at all.”

Josh laughed. “You’ll figure it out. It’s nothing a pro like you can’t handle, Kyle.”

“Easy for you to say. You don’t have to pass as a homeless person a few times a week.” Contrary to his words, though, he’d learned more from his undercover work at the shelter than what the case demanded. He’d realized that Portia was a very compassionate, dedicated woman. The kind of woman a man didn’t play with romantically.

You’re undercover at the shelter for the case, not Portia .

“When are you going back in?” Josh referred to the Silver Valley homeless shelter.

“Tonight. I’ll look nothing like this, of course.” He motioned to his jeans and flannel shirt. “The other night, I found out that there are three new dealers in town. I need their names. Then I can track down their supplier more quickly with triangulation.” And hopefully directly link it to ROC, but he wasn’t holding his breath. ROC was notorious for its ability to evade law enforcement. But ROC wasn’t used to the state-of-the-art technology and techniques employed by the Trail Hikers. ROC thought they were up against SVPD and the FBI, tough enough adversaries. “I’ve also got to get into the library to do a thorough search for evidence.”

“I’ve seen your getup. You’re right—you don’t look anything like the homeless person you use for your cover.” Josh paused. “You’ll need a search warrant for the library, though.”

“Unless we can convince the local librarian to let me in for a look-see.” Kyle drummed his fingers on the table, alongside his coffee mug.

“Kyle, you can tell me to mind my own business, but what did you do before TH?” He’d lowered his voice, as the secrecy of the agency meant that the majority of SVPD officers and employees had no idea of its existence. They all thought Kyle was a visiting detective from out of state.

“I was a Marine.” He wasn’t going to spell it out—Josh wasn’t stupid.

Josh’s eyes narrowed. “I knew it. The US Marine Corps—it explains how cool you are, no matter what.”

“And my lack of patience while conducting civilian stakeouts.”

“Forget about that. What do you think they’re passing in the library?”

“I don’t know but from all indications, ROC sends thugs from New York into the library to drop intel for a local operative. Then they split. The local person in charge comes in, gets the information, then passes the information to their local network. It’s what TH has put together after collecting information from all available agencies and sources.”

“You think there’s a tip-off going down soon, for certain?”

“I do. It makes sense, as it’s been ten days since the last rash of trailer thefts.” Two truckloads of computer equipment and one of wide-screen, high-technology televisions.

“I’m glad they’re not doing anything more than knocking out the truck drivers,” Josh said, expressing what worried Kyle. It was only a matter of time before ROC left behind their use of chloroform and used weapons that would leave more permanent wounds. Or worse. Escalation was part of ROC’s methods. The minute one trucker didn’t go down easily with a chloroform-soaked rag, they’d up the ante to let the other truckers in the region know they’d better give up their goods without a fight. His mind flashed back to the image of Portia facing down Markova, and the former FSB agent’s knife. He hadn’t ever felt that frightened for someone he didn’t know. Hell, when was he going to admit to himself that Portia had gotten under his skin?

“You and I both know that they’re used to making smaller PD’s roll over and get out of their way. They’re not afraid to hit at officers as needed. They don’t like the press attention, but when it comes down to it, they don’t really care. To them, money and power is what matters.”

“Not on my watch,” Josh said, expressing how Kyle felt.

“I have to admit, Josh, I never know what I’m going to find when I walk into a new PD. Silver Valley PD is solid,” Kyle said without thinking and realized he was speaking from his heart. He took a long, hot gulp of coffee. For over a decade, he’d either been a Marine or Trail Hiker, protected the highest officials of government, conducted clandestine ops and never thought much about his dang heart. But since this morning, and coming head-to-head with Portia, he’d—

“Officer Avery? Portia DiNapoli is here to give a statement and she wants to talk to you.” The receptionist stood at Josh’s desk. “Should I bring her back here or tell her to wait?”

Josh looked at Kyle. “You okay with her seeing you here?”

Kyle wanted to see Portia, know she was okay. It was an unreasonable level of concern for someone he wasn’t personally acquainted with. Best stop it before it began.

You’re already done for .

“Naw, I’ll take off before you talk to her.”

“Can you have her wait a few, and I’ll come get her?” Josh said to the receptionist.

“Sure thing.”

After she was out of earshot, Josh looked at Kyle. “I know you’re undercover for TH, but Portia doesn’t have to know that. She could think you’re a contractor or other LEA, working with SVPD on the ROC case, in general. It’s no secret that we’ve got ROC problems in Silver Valley.”

“I know. It’s the details that are classified, not the big picture.” Kyle’s gut clenched. It’d be too easy to let Portia know what he did, that he was someone she could trust, as he’d told her. “But unless she absolutely has to know—”

“I hear you. And I’d do the same.” Josh confirmed the conservative approach all undercover agents employed. It was always better to stick to the tightest parameters of operational security possible. Then you could loosen up as needed. But once the cat was out of the bag, i.e., a civilian such as Portia DiNapoli found out you were doing something classified or law enforcement related, you couldn’t put it back.